"Luxembourg banks would not accept such 'annoyance' at any price."

"'Income not worth the annoyance' can rapidly become, 'no income at all'."

Paris, 2 September 2015

In a letter to Luxembourg Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed “our Luxembourg members' concern at the submission by Cactus Supermarkets to violence and threats of the so-called pro-Palestinian B.D.S. (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) anti-Israel lobby in your country.”

The letter noted that “this rabble has been demonstrating for months outside branches of the Cactus chain, intimidating buyers and staff across Luxembourg.”

The Centre shared the letter with Cactus CEO, Max Leesch – a scion of this shopping store network's founding family -– and his Director, Laurent Schonckert,requesting they “reconsider their outrageous argument that 'Income from Israeli produce is minimal and is not worth the annoyance to customers caused by protests'.”

Samuels suggested that “Cactus has damaged its image even further, with Leesch's lame advisory that '[the chain] will continue to sell other Israeli products like SodaStream and other equipment which provide more significant profits',” adding, “that rather sounds like Cactus will accept any threats and mayhem if the price is high enough.”

The appeal to the Prime Minister argued that, “the celebrated Luxembourg banks would never accept such 'annoyance' at any price. Nor would Luxembourg law enforcement.”

The Centre urged him “to strengthen Cactus management's resolve by Government measures to deal with the BDS squads as serial rioters endangering public order.”

“Cactus, apparently, has also several coffee shops named 'Commerce Équitable' ('Fair Trade'). That name should evoke the inevitability that 'income not worth the annoyance' can rapidly become 'no income at all',” concluded Samuels.