Cruelty-free cosmetics brand Lush has strangely weighed into the Israel-Hamas war after an image in one of its store’s windows telling customers to “Boycott Israel” went viral.
The offensive image was photographed at a Lush outlet in Dublin, Ireland, and has since been removed following a customer backlash.
The image was posted to X/Twitter and swiftly went viral on social media with users demanding an explanation from Lush management and saying the misguided brand should be “boycotted” itself.
Although B&T’s quick check of the social feedback found that many users also supported the store’s stance.
However, lots of the responses appeared to simply attack the Lush brand itself with users claiming its stores “stunk” and its products “caused rashes”.
One person posted: “This is ill advised by Lush. I say this as one who has always bought their products for animal welfare and environmental reasons. Stay out of politics Lush, stick to the environment.”
Another said: “Pretending that criticism of Israel is support of Hamas is deranged, warped and pathetic. Wise up.”
While another added: “Stop spreading war propaganda!’
Boycott lush. Time to BDS anyone supporting Hamas terror https://t.co/Sk8AbkDp4f
— Frances Weetman (@francesweetman) October 10, 2023
Following the backlash, Lush issued a statement that said it wished for “peace and safety for all Israeli and Palestinian people”.
A spokesperson told the UK news site Indy100: “This week, one shop within the UK&I business briefly displayed a ‘Boycott Israel’ message in their window. It was an isolated occurrence that does not represent the Lush ethos that ‘All Are Welcome. Always.’ and was swiftly removed.
“Lush deplores all acts of violence and our wish is for peace and safety for all Israeli and Palestinian people. We support the upholding of international law and the human rights of all peoples.”
