European boycott of Israeli goods expands, reaches German markets

A growing boycott of Israeli agricultural goods is sweeping across Europe, Israeli farmers and exporters report, with Germany, long considered a reliable trade partner, now showing signs of pulling back. The movement gained momentum following decisions by Co-op chains in Italy and the UK to stop selling Israeli products.

Israeli exporters now say that, behind the scenes, major European retailers like Germany’s Aldi, the UK’s Waitrose, and even outlets in Japan are quietly distancing themselves from Israeli produce.

“In the past two weeks, we’re hearing louder voices calling for a boycott in Germany, and that’s new,” a potato exporter told Ynet. Another farmer described how German packing companies, sympathetic yet pressured, now hesitate to distribute Israeli goods under their original labeling. “The retailer’s buyer told me it’s hard to place ‘Produce of Israel’ on the shelf when the newspaper headline reads ‘genocide.’ It’s weighing on us.”

While German buyers have so far honored existing contracts, exporters warn that Aldi has been subtly phasing out Israeli suppliers under the guise of seasonal changes, moves they say are clearly driven by shifting political sentiment amid the Gaza war.

Ofer Levin, a leading agricultural exporter, noted that Belgium was the first to act, with strict EU labeling rules making Israeli origins visible and vulnerable to boycott pressure. “But mini potatoes packaged without country labels are still being bought in bulk; that shows it’s entirely political,” he said. Levin added that retailers in Sweden and Norway have long stopped buying Israeli produce, and now even Germany, Israel’s largest market for potatoes, is warning that business may not resume next season if the situation persists.