VEGANWASHING
Israeli Veganwashing: strategic promotion of veganism by the state, in order to make Israel appear liberal and progressive and distract attention away from ongoing violations of Palestinian rights.
PROFESSOR AEYAL GROSS, TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, QUOTED IN HAARETZ:
“When veganism becomes a tool to improve the IDF’s image, or that of Israel as a whole […] and when attempts are being made to cover up the fact that the IDF operates an occupation mechanism that denies people their basic human rights, veganism is being appropriated for propaganda purposes.
“In Tel Aviv today, it is far easier to find food whose preparation has not involved the exploitation of animals than to find food whose production has not entailed the oppression and uprooting of other human beings.”
Here are some examples of Vegan Washing media, materials, propaganda, and the effects of normalization of the Israeli occupation in the global vegan community
Many dedicated animal rights activists have worked hard to create a successful Israeli vegan movement. However, this movement is increasingly becoming co-opted and used by the Israeli government with political objectives.
Find out more about Veganwashing:
Freedom of Species podcast
This show features the talk ‘Veganwashing Israel’s Dirty Laundry? Animal Politics and Nationalism in Palestine-Israel’ by scholar-activist Esther Alloun.
Vegan Vanguard podcast
The Great March of Return and Palestinian Resistance with Abby Martin
TierrechtsRadio
Did you know that even the Israeli Defense Forces have gone vegan now, offering animal-free food, boots, and berets to vegan soldiers? ????
Sarah Doyel in Mondoweiss
Israel’s veganwashing, however, is particularly insidious. This is because veganwashing promotes the idea that Israel, as a country claiming to have a vegan population constituting up to 5% of its total population, is a necessarily less violent and more compassionate society than others due to its high proportion of vegans.
Aeyal Gross in Haaretz
Haaretz is an independent daily newspaper with a broadly liberal outlook both on domestic issues and on international affairs.
Warwick Globalist
Towards the end of January – or ‘Veganuary’, as it was for many – the BBC produced a short report on the growing popularity of veganism in the state of Israel.
Mint Press News
In Israel, a country that cares about animals more than its indigenous human population, you can be vegan, but you can’t support Palestinian rights.
Palestinian Animal League article
It has been also debated that the vegan movement in Israel has started as an integral part of the fight for justice and against all kinds of oppression, including the occupation and colonization of Palestine.