DUP calls the boycott Israel movement 'extremist' as efforts under way to pressure Dunnes Stores and SuperValu to pull all Israeli goods from shelves

The party was reacting to a push by People Before Profit to get SuperValu and Dunnes Stores to sign up to the worldwide BDS movement (boycott, divestment, and sanctions).

BDS activists, fuelled by anger over the growing Palestinian death toll, have already claimed victory in the case of one major retailer in Northern Ireland: Home Bargains.

Campaigners had planned a protest at the Londonderry branch, but called it off when they said management gave them assurances that Israeli beauty products would no longer be stocked there.

• Palestine activists call off demonstration at Home Bargains saying it has agreed to drop Israeli products from its shelves

Repeated attempts to elicit comment from Home Bargains (such as asking whether this is a UK-wide policy now) were met with silence.

This week, Paul Murphy of cross-border party People Before Profit, wrote to a number of firms asking them to stop stocking items from Israel.

Some of the firms he wrote to were limited to the Republic of Ireland (such as the specific corporate wing of Lidl which deals solely with Roi business) but SuperValu and Dunnes Stores are island-wide operators which just happen to have their headquarters in the Republic.

This raises the possibility that, were they to implement a boycott, it could affect stores all over the island of Ireland.

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In his letter, written on official Dail Eireann-headed notepaper, Mr Murphy told the retailers that Israeli actions were "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide", adding: "You may be aware of a powerful movement known as BDS led by Palestinian civil society.

"This calls for people to boycott goods from Israeli companies.

"In the context of the current assault on Gaza, I am writing to you to ask you to stop stocking Israeli products in your shops.

"This would be an act of solidarity with the Palestinians currently under attack. It would also help to isolate and pressurise the Israeli apartheid regime."

Efforts to contact Dunnes and SuperValu have proven fruitless.

In response, East Antrim DUP MLA Gordon Lyons said: East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons said: "Calls such as this are not only ill-founded but are a display of extremism.

"Israel was the victim of a terrorist attack and have the right to defend themselves and seek the release of innocent Israelis who have been kidnapped.

"I would be horrified if established companies who supply Northern Ireland were to start withdrawing Israeli produce from their shelves."

Meanwhile the suffering in Gaza goes on.

The UN Relief and Works Agency posted pictures of babies at one of their shelters on Thursday saying: “Many newborn babies are calling UNRWA shelters in Gaza their first home.

“Around 4,600 displaced pregnant women and 380 newborns living in our facilities require medical attention.

"UNRWA works to provide postnatal care – but conditions at shelters are not suitable for newborns.”

According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, the death toll exceeded 10,500 on Monday.

The UN says the electricity blackout is now in its 31st day, and 18 hospitals (one third of the total) are now out of action.