A kosher night of delight

As the drumbeats of war between Iran and Israel grow louder, and the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians grows dimmer, boycotts of the Jewish state and Israeli products have increased among the anti-Israel crowd.

While politics has hurt the sale of Israeli wines in Europe, said Mordy Herzog, vice president of Royal Wine, Israel’s political standing is not a setback at all in the United States, where pro-Israel sentiment is high, not just in the Jewish community, but also among Evangelicals.

“People know Israel for the great country it is, for the wonderful advanced civilization, culture it represents,” he said. “I don’t see Israel as a setback at all.”

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Binyamina Wines has not noticed any drop-off in business from boycotts, said the company’s Assaf Paz, but, he noted, the majority of the company’s market is Jewish. If people were to boycott the wine because of politics, he added, it would be “very sad.” People who consider themselves open-minded and fighting for human rights are stifling the voices of others when they boycott products for political reasons, he said. Boycotts often lead to counter-boycotts. “It will never end,” he said.

“When people try to force their opinions by boycotting somebody, it’s trying to shut their mouths,” he said. “If you don’t like what I’m doing, say what you think.”