by Candice Bodnaruk
A boycott campaign recently started in Winnipeg is demanding Manitoba Liquor Marts remove Israeli wines from their store shelves.
Earlier this year, organizers of “No Wine From Genocide” wrote to the provincial minister responsible for liquor and lotteries as well as the President of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation (MLLC) to request that they remove Product of Israel wines from their store shelves. The protesters have yet to receive a reply from government leaders about their demand.
Activists argue there must be more accountability from the recently elected New Democratic government- given that Premier Wab Kinew has spoken twice in support of a ceasefire in Gaza- yet is silent on Israeli wine sales in provincial liquor marts.
Four varieties of Israeli wines are sold in Manitoba. Activists have held two pickets outside the Osborne Village Liquor Store and distributed leaflets to passerby. Most people in the neighbourhood were interested in hearing about what the protesters were doing and were unaware that Product of Israel wines were sold in Manitoba. The Liquor Mart also sells the wines online.
The Israeli Wine sold in Manitoba comes from the Galil Mountain Winery, which is located just outside the northern Israeli settlement of Yiron, near the Lebanese border. The settlement was established on May 20, 1949 by former members of the Palmach Yiftach Regiment and the Freedom Pioneer (Dror-Ha-Chalutz) Movement. Yiron is located on the former lands of the Saliha, a Palestinian village that was destroyed in the 1948 Nakba.
Supporters of the boycott point to the fact that Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries removed Russian beer and vodka from its stores shelves in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. People believe it is a double standard that Israeli products remain on liquor store shelves.
Activists have also been placing boycott stickers on Israeli wine in Winnipeg liquor stores and have a petition, addressed to Premier Wab Kinew and Glen Simard, the Minister Responsible for Liquor and Lotteries with close to 400 signatories at http://www.change.org/NoWineFromGenocide.