Does Vaseline Support Israel? Facts, BDS Links & How to Help

Vaseline is a long-standing consumer brand originally associated with Chesebrough Manufacturing, now part of larger corporate portfolios and licensing arrangements. Public corporate histories note Chesebrough-Pond’s as the origin point for Vaseline-style petroleum jelly in U.S. markets Chesebrough-Pond’s | Encyclopedia.com. There is no single, public headquarters-in-Israel claim connected to the Vaseline consumer brand in those company histories. Available corporate histories describe product lines, mergers, and brand ownership without listing an Israeli corporate office for the Vaseline trademark; those same histories focus on North American and global sales channels rather than on direct Israeli operations source.

Vaseline is not named on the BDS Movement’s official boycott list. Activists online sometimes allege that brand licensing, parent-company contracts, or distribution networks create financial links to Israeli firms; those claims should be evaluated against company filings and independent reporting. At present, verified company histories and public listings do not document Vaseline as a named target on the formal BDS lists referenced by major trackers such as the UN-related summaries published on Jewish Virtual Library UN blacklist coverage | Jewish Virtual Library .

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🚫 What Is BDS and Why It Matters

BDS refers to an international campaign that calls for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel as a form of protest. The original BDS call was issued in 2005 by a coalition of Palestinian civil society organizations What Is BDS? | My Jewish Learning. The BDS National Committee (BNC) emerged later to coordinate some activities associated with the wider campaign BDS Movement history | Jewish Virtual Library. The movement’s stated tactics include economic, cultural, and academic boycotts; critics and governments have responded with a range of legal and policy measures that address public procurement and state contracting State Anti-BDS Legislation | Jewish Virtual Library.
The Israeli government has responded to the BDS campaign in several concrete ways, including trade measures and public diplomacy efforts since the early 2010s.

For example, government agencies have supported export grants and programs to help exporters reach Europe and the U.S., and cultural diplomacy initiatives have been funded to counteract boycotts (see reports at Reuters and AP News).

 

Documented BDS activity around Vaseline specifically is limited to informal social-media calls and third-party posts rather than official listings.

Official trackers and the BDS movement’s published boycott list do not include Vaseline as a formal target, so claims of an organized BDS campaign against the brand are not supported by those lists (see BDS movement materials and coverage by AP News).

Critics describe BDS as singling out Israel for economic pressure; that is a characterization of the movement rather than an uncontested fact.

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How You Can Support Israel Today

In Israel, and in communities across Judea and Samaria, families run small businesses – planting vineyards, harvesting honey, designing jewelry, crafting soaps, and making other handmade goods. Many of these small producers face limited access to international markets, higher export costs, and logistical barriers that reduce their sales opportunities abroad. Market access, stable export channels, and steady customers make a measurable difference to small producers’ revenue and ability to hire locally.
But these families live on the front lines of economic pressure from market closures, trade restrictions, and negative publicity that narrows customer reach.

When export channels slow or retailers remove product lines after activist campaigns, small producers lose predictable orders and the ability to plan seasons and staff.

Outside customers who intentionally buy from these makers help sustain steady cash flow and create repeat demand; that stability can be the difference between keeping a seasonal workforce or closing.
Here’s how you can make a real difference: buy authentic Israeli-made products from small businesses such as date farmers in the Jordan Valley or soap makers in Nazareth.

Choose fair, traceable brands and share their stories with friends and your congregation, citing facts from sources like AP News or Reuters when needed.

Subscribe to a Lev HaOlam Box

Your subscription helps families thrive by providing steady orders to small producers in places like the Galilee and Be’er Sheva (region names).

Your choice stands against anti-Semitism when you buy directly from verified Israeli sellers and share purchase receipts with others.

Your support builds the future of Israel by creating reliable cash flow for artisans, farmers, and family businesses.