T-shirts, mugs and hoodies with Hamas rallying cry for sale on Amazon and eBay
T-shirts and mugs emblazoned with a slogan used by Hamas were this week on sale via Amazon, eBay and Google.
We found listings for merchandise including posters, tote bags and phone cases carrying the message “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. Home Secretary Suella Braverman this week urged police forces to consider whether the call “should be understood as an expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world”.
The American Jewish Committee NGO describes it as a “common call-to-arms for pro-Palestinian activists”. This week we discovered T-shirts carrying the slogan for sale on eBay for around £14. Under the listing, themes given included the words “HAMAS” and “ISIS”.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman (Andy Stenning/Sunday Mirror)On Amazon, coffee mugs priced at £10.79 are also emblazoned with the message, as well as a £15.49 beer mug. Meanwhile, we also found hoodies, posters, tote bags, and iPhone cases with the slogan available on Google’s “shopping” tab.
Tonight Lord Mann, the government’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism, said: “It is outrageous these American multinationals are profiteering by promoting Hamas. They should be prosecuted at the earliest possibility.”
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The Anti-Defamation League’s website says: “Usage of this phrase can have the effect of making members of the Jewish and pro-Israel community feel beleaguered and ostracised.” Its website adds: “Demanding justice for Palestinians, or calling for a Palestinian state should not also mean negating Israel’s existence.
“This chant can be understood as a call for a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, territory that includes the State of Israel, implying the dismantling of the Jewish state. Indeed, this rallying cry has long been used by the anti-Israel terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the PFLP, which seek Israel’s destruction through violent means.”
In a letter to chief constables in England and Wales, Mrs Braverman said: “At a time when Hamas terrorists are massacring civilians, we can all recognise the harrowing effect that displays of their logos and flags can have on communities. I therefore ask that your police forces are alert and ready to respond to any potential offences.
“Of course, it is not just explicit pro-Hamas symbols and chants that are cause for concern. I would encourage police to consider whether chants such as 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' should be understood as an expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world, and whether its use in certain contexts may amount to a racially aggravated section 5 public order offence.”
The goods were available on the internet giants’ sites via sellers. The cost of selling on Amazon varies, with one plan costing 75p per unit sold and another £25 per month excluding VAT no matter how many units sold.
Ebay’s website says: “We charge a listing fee when you create a listing, and a final value fee when your item sells. Other fees may apply if you add upgrades to your listing, or if your item sells or ships to a buyer in a different country.”
Google lets products be listed for free on its Shopping tab. An eBay spokesperson said: “These items are prohibited on our platform. We are removing the reported listing and are in the process of removing other listings offering such items.”
Google said: “In response to the terrible attacks in Israel and the escalated conflict now underway in Israel and Gaza, our teams have been working around the clock to monitor the shopping content on our platforms. When we find content that violates our policies, including if it promotes violence or hatred, we take swift enforcement action, ranging from content removal to merchant suspension.” Amazon declined to comment.
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