BUYcott in support of Mountain Equipment Co-Op ethical sourcing policy and
its Israeli products held in cities across Canada

VANCOUVER , Nov. 29 /CNW/ - BUYcott activities took place today on-line and at Mountain Equipment Co-Op (MEC) stores in cities across Canada . This BUYcott has resulted in significant sales of merchandise - Israeli and otherwise - from MEC. The BUYcott was organized in response to a national picket and threat to boycott MEC stores unless MEC ceases doing business with Israel . An earlier attempt to force MEC to boycott Israeli goods was defeated by MEC members at their annual general meeting last spring.

BUYcott Israel activists were out in large numbers in cities across Canada today, and we look forward to sharing video and photographs of these events on our website in the following days.

"This clearly demonstrates that the Canadian public supports MEC's ethical sourcing policy and rejects efforts to politicize the activities of one of Canada's most socially conscious merchandisers," said Michael Elterman, Chair of the Canada-Israel Committee's Pacific Region.

The BUYcott initiative, which is spreading worldwide, was launched earlier this year in Canada by a group of organizations that aim to neutralize calls to boycott Israel by making them counterproductive.

Added Elterman, "Calls to boycott will thus lead to greater sales of Israeli products and more favourable exposure for Israel . Israeli wines, cultural products, and the Ahava line have all been successfully BUYcotted over the past year."

BUYcott groups have already been created in several American cities, as well as in England, and we expect that other communities will follow.

For further information: Dan Schloss, Pacific Region Manager, Advocacy, Canada-Israel Committee, Cell: [phone]