At least two supermarket chains in the Netherlands are no longer selling products from the Occupied Territories, Trouw reports on Monday.

International supermarket group Aldi and independent Hoogvliet, which operates in central areas of the country, both told Trouw they did not sell products from land illegally occupied by Israel.

Jumbo, the second biggest supermarket group in the Netherlands, said its own-label products are guaranteed Occupied Territory-free.

Discussion

The paper says Aldi has told its suppliers not to deliver any more products from areas occupied by Israel because ‘we do not want our products to be the subject of discussion in any way’.

Jumbo has also asked suppliers for a guarantee that products marked as coming from Israel are actually from the country rather than the disputed territories, saying that clients have the right to honest information. The Hoogvliet group declined to give any further comment, Trouw said.

Other supermarkets, including the Albert Heijn group, are waiting for recommendations from their retail trade organisation, which in turn is awaiting clarification of government policy, the paper said.

Ministry

In March, the economic affairs ministry published proposals to limit the sale of products described as Israeli to those which come from Israel itself, not the Occupied Territories.

The paper was soon removed following objections from the ruling VVD and the issue is now being dealt with at a European level.