Supermarkets must shun occupation

Palestinian farmers face movement restrictions, attacks on farmers and fishermen and the theft of their water resources and are being forced from their land to make way for illegal settlements that export fruit and vegetables to supermarkets in Britain and elsewhere in Europe.

New research has shown that Israeli companies such as Mehadrin, which supplies Sainsbury's, Tesco and other major supermarkets with fruit and vegetables, export produce from illegal settlements and play a key role in the theft of Palestinian land.

Any trade with companies exporting produce grown in settlements helps to finance their expansion and is inherently unethical.

We note that the Co-operative supermarket pledged to end trade with Israeli agricultural export companies that operate in settlements.

We urge all of the other British supermarkets to follow its lead and not to buy into the Israeli occupation.

The British government should match its condemnation of illegal settlements by ending trade that boosts the coffers of settlements and settlement companies.

A just peace will only be possible when international support for Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people is brought to an end.

Manuel Cortes TSSA general secretary

Bob Crow RMT general secretary

Simon Dubbins Unite international officer

Paul Kenny GMB general secretary

Hugh Lanning PCS deputy general secretary; Palestine Solidarity Campaign chair

Steve Murphy Ucatt general secretary

Dave Prentis Unison general secretary