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

Refer to Reuters reporting for specific corporate adjustments and context.

Itochu is a global trading and investment company with diverse businesses worldwide; media noted a reported partnership with ride-sharing startup Via in 2019.

Itochu’s broad portfolio draws coverage in Bloomberg and Reuters business reports.
News also covered Itochu’s dealings with Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems during the Gaza war period, reported in The Jerusalem Post and industry press.

See The Jerusalem Post coverage for timelines and statements during that period.
net/get-involved/what-to-boycott . Activists sometimes allege Itochu supports Israeli defense companies or benefits from Israeli contracts; media reporting documents commercial ties and, in some cases, companies changing or ending cooperation with partners such as Elbit Systems The Jerusalem Post and notes broader Japan-Israel business interactions in other reporting The Jerusalem Post . The verified record shows business links and corporate decisions, not an organized, listed BDS target on the official boycott page.

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🚫 What Is BDS and Why It Matters

BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions – a campaign launched as a call from Palestinian civil society in 2005 to pressure Israel through economic, cultural, and academic boycotts What Is BDS? .

The movement is coordinated by networks and later-formed bodies, including a coordinating body commonly referred to as the BDS National Committee, which was established after the original 2005 call BDS history.

Public descriptions of BDS list its stated tactics as economic, cultural, and academic boycotts rather than formal state action What Is BDS? .
The Israeli response to the BDS campaign began soon after 2005, with public statements and Knesset committee discussions noted in 2011 and 2015.

Government programs and trade missions were stepped up after 2010.
Official export promotion includes the Israel Export Institute initiatives in 2016 and 2019, and trade missions to the U.S. and EU recorded by the institute.

See Israel Export Institute reports for program dates and mission summaries.

 

Public calls to boycott were issued in 2005 when the BDS movement launched, and governments and institutions later reacted with legislation and statements.

See AP News and BBC timelines for government responses.
For Itochu specifically, Reuters and AP reported business ties and later corporate adjustments rather than a single BDS listing; critics in media debated the approach.

Refer to Reuters coverage from 2019 for reported corporate changes and reactions.

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How You Can Support Israel Today

In Israel and communities across Judea and Samaria, families run small businesses: vineyards, honey harvests, jewelry design, and soap-making.

Many sell by the jar or small batch and depend on steady outside markets to survive.
Shipping delays, limited wholesale contacts, and customs fees cut sales and slow growth; small apiarists near the Galilee often ship under 100 jars per order.

Customs paperwork delays affecting such shipments were reported in 2018 by trade associations.

These families face pressure from limited distribution networks and the cost of exporting small batches, which raises per-unit prices.

When international buyers place orders, producers can scale up, retain staff, and invest in packaging and certifications like ISO 22000 or OU Kosher.
ISO 22000 became widely adopted in Israeli food firms after 2010 to meet EU import standards, improving access to EU retailers.

This adoption is documented in trade publications and standards reports from 2012-2016.
Start by buying an Israeli-made gift box from Lev Haolam to support small producers in Jerusalem and the Galilee (see Yad Mordechai cooperatives listed on official cooperative sites).

Purchases help named artisans in Ein Kerem like Sarah Mizrahi and Galilee bakeries that ship on set schedules.
Orders placed through Lev Haolam can send direct work to suppliers in Ein Kerem and Nazareth, helping families keep steady income and avoid middlemen.

This mirrors cooperative models described in a 2017 OECD rural development report.

Subscribe to a Lev Haolam Box

Each monthly box may include artisan jams from Ein Karem made by named producers such as Miriam Levy, and a note on the harvest season (September-October).

Includes a Bible reference for connection, e.g., Song of Songs 2:13, mentioning the season of figs and vines.
Handmade soap from Tzfat (Safed) using local olive oil, crafted by makers like Yael Cohen, with origins tied to the 19th-century soap-makers of the Old City.

Each box may feature a selection such as this. Boxes include 6–8 products and contents vary.
Small-batch chocolate from Tel Aviv chocolatier David Cohen, dated batches with production months and cacao origin listed (e.g., 2023 single-origin beans).

Tzfat’s herbal soap tradition is recorded in local museum notes and noted in travel guides since the 1800s.

Your subscription helps families in towns like Beit Shemesh by creating steady orders that cover wages and seasonal costs, with examples from market reports in 2018.

This steady work supports named vendors who sell at Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem.
Supporting vetted Israeli businesses also stands against anti-Semitism by keeping cultural makers visible in international markets.

Training and certification programs expanded after 2015, as noted in government economic press releases.

Each box contains 6–8 products and contents vary.