BOYCOTT STARBUCKS:  YOU MIGHT SAVE A LIFE IN PALESTINE

Despite the current onslaught undertaken by Israel against the 

Palestinian people, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is fueling an already tense 

situation by using inciteful language to “legitimize” Israel’s actions.

Howard Schultz told a crowded temple of Jewish Americans on Seattle's 

Capitol Hill in April that the reasons behind the current conflict in 

the region fueled from “anti-Semitism”, blatantly ignoring the fact that 

Israeli non-compliance with international law calling on it to end its 

illegal occupation of Palestinian lands; the systematic assassinations 

and targeting of unarmed Palestinian men, women and children; and the 

besiegement of the chosen government of the Palestinian people are the 

fundamental reasons behind the conflict.

He has also called on “every Jew in America” to rise up and defend 

Israel at any cost.

Palestinians of Muslim and Christian descent, as well as the 

international community – including official U.S. policy calling for an end to 

the occupation – illustrate that it is not a sense of anti –Semitism that 

is fueling the uncontrollable spiral of violence in the Middle East, 

but rather, it is the decades-long illegal occupation of Palestinian land 

and the ongoing threat to the lives of Palestinians by the Israeli 

government that has plummeted the Holy Land into the sphere of war.

American Muslims for Global Peace and Justice (Global Peace) calls on 

all people of conscience to boycott the Starbucks Coffee Company in 

order to send the message that one cannot delegitimize the Palestinian 

desire to achieve the right of freedom, and to defend themselves against 

attacks by asserting that the struggle is based on religious as opposed 

to political grounds. What Schultz has ignored is that Palestinians of 

both Muslim and Christian descent are being persecuted by Israel. 

“We are concerned that his [Schultz’s] statements exude Islamophobia 

and only seek to maintain the myth that the Palestinian struggle is 

against the Jewish people as opposed to being against an illegal occupation 

of land and an onslaught of aggression,” said Yousef al-Yousef, 

chairman of Global Peace.

Starbucks also plans on opening several shops in Israel, which amounts 

to the funding of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people in 

much the same way that U.S. tax dollars sent to Israel help fund the 

armory used to kill and besiege Palestinians. 

Although a retraction was issued last week, the apology did not come 

from Schultz personally but was instead written on his behalf.

TAKE ACTION WORLDWIDE:

Refuse to support Starbucks’ stance by not buying their products. Tell 

Schultz and his company that you will not support such inciteful 

remarks at a time when people are being killed on a daily basis as a result 

of the ongoing aggression by the Israeli army.  Starbucks has over 3,000 

stores worldwide, so we are calling on Muslims to take up this boycott 

in every city, in every neighborhood where Starbucks operates.  

We ask that this Action Alert be translated into other languages and 

distributed in countries worldwide.  You can use information from the 

following open letter to Starbucks, which reiterates the points made in 

the above Action Alert.  You can cut and paste the letter into MS Word, 

print it, sign it, and send it by mail to Starbucks.  Stop drinking 

Starbucks coffee, and make sure you tell them why you have stopped.

Or send a Retail Comment Card by going to 

http://www.starbucks.com/customer/contact_forms.asp?nav=3e

_________________________

[ put the date here] Howard Schultz, CEO Starbucks Coffee 

CompanyStarbucks Customer Relations

PO Box 3717

Seattle, WA 98124-3717

(206) 447-1575 x82900

Dear Mr. Schultz,

At a time when the current onslaught undertaken by Israel against the 

Palestinian people and their leaders has left hundreds of people dead, 

with thousands more injured, and thrown the region into a cycle of 

violence, it is disturbing that you would fuel an already tense situation by 

using inciteful language to “legitimize” Israel’s actions.

Your speech to members of the temple of Jewish Americans on Seattle's 

Capitol Hill in April stated that the reasons behind the current 

conflict in the region fueled from “anti-Semitism”. However, you blatantly 

ignored the fact that Israeli non-compliance with international law 

calling on it to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian lands; the 

systematic assassinations and targeting of unarmed Palestinian men, women and 

children; and the besiegement of the chosen government of the 

Palestinian people are the fundamental reasons behind the conflict.

You also did a great disservice to the American Jewish community by 

calling upon them to rise up and defend Israel despite its blatant 

defiance of international law and its jeopardizing of U.S. interests in the 

region.

Palestinians of Muslim and Christian descent and many Israeli peace 

activists, as well as the international community – including official 

U.S. policy calling for an end to the occupation – illustrate that it is 

not a sense of anti –Semitism that is fueling the uncontrollable spiral 

of violence in the Middle East, but rather, it is the decades long 

illegal occupation of Palestinian land and the ongoing threat to the lives 

of Palestinians by the Israeli government that has plummeted the Holy 

Land into the sphere of war.

It is regrettable that you should choose to make such remarks and risk 

your company by alienating people who will no longer purchase your 

products.

You have lost my business and that of others seeking to promote peace 

and stability in the region.

 Sincerely,

 [put your name here]

- END -

 

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