This Valentine’s Day, break up with the Pillsbury Doughboy
He’s a softie. He’s sweet. And he’s so, so cute. But a dark secret about the Pillsbury Doughboy has come to rise. The United Nations recently published a report on business activities related to settlements, or illegal colonies, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The report listed General Mills, the company that owns Pillsbury; the manufacturer of frozen baked goods, as a profiteer of human rights violations in Palestine. More specifically, General Mills is operating a Pillsbury factory in the Atarot Industrial Zone, which is an illegal Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem according to international law. This Pillsbury factory was built on and continues to operate on Palestinian land that was illegally annexed by Israel after the 1967 war.
What does this mean? It means Pillsbury is profiting from the crime of annexation, which is the theft and occupation of Palestinian land. The UN report cited ‘human rights concerns’ in their use of natural resources like water and land for business purposes. Ironically, General Mills has endorsed the United Nations Guiding Principles on Businesses and Human Rights and stated “respect for human rights is fundamental” to running its business. However, by operating its Pillsbury factory in an illegal Israeli settlement, not only is General Mills complicit in Israel’s occupation and annexation of the West Bank, it is also profiting from apartheid. Demanding General Mills comply with international human rights law, here, is a matter of holding this multi-billion dollar corporation to its own standards; and ensuring the Palestinian people and Palestinian land are not exploited for financial gain.
What can we do? In response to this report, there has been global backlash against General Mills, and Pillsbury more specifically, as well as the other companies listed in the UN report to have raised human rights concerns in Palestine. One of the biggest actions is the #BoycottPillsbury campaign, which is being spearheaded by a coalition of twenty-one multiethnic, interfaith, and diverse organizations advocating for Palestinian rights in unison. One of the organizations leading this campaign is American Muslims for Palestine, a national education and advocacy organization with a chapter based in Minnesota, which is Pillsbury’s hometown. As part of AMP’s Minnesota chapter, we have been educating our community on this issue with a variety of activities and demonstrations to pressure the corporate headquarters to close its illegal Pilsbury factory in East Jerusalem. Other organizations part of this coalition include Friends of Sabeel, Jewish Voice for Peace, Middle East Peace Now, the BDS National Committee, The United Methodist Church, and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
To join the movement and pressure General Mills to close the Pillsbury factory operating in an illegal Israeli settlement, you take the following actions:
Boycott Pillsbury Products
Ask grocery stores to stop shelving Pillsbury products
We know that when consumers talk, corporations listen. The BDS movement has proven successful in other similar situations, like in 2015, when SodaStream completely withdrew its factory in Mishor Adumim in the West Bank due to similar human rights concerns and subsequent pressure from the masses.
This Valentine’s Day, break up with the Pillsbury Doughboy. Crush his heart like he so recklessly hurt so many others. Ignore his sweet talk, no matter how delectable it is. And make it clear there’s no going back until he recognizes his destructive behavior and puts an end to the violative harm he’s caused.
