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Does Marks & Spencer Group plc support Israel?

Support documentedupdated 2026-07-29

Yes — Marks & Spencer Group plc has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.

Filed under: Retail & supermarket chains · Fashion & apparel brands · Companies that support Israel

Background

Marks & Spencer is one of the oldest and most famous 'Does it support Israel?' cases in Britain, and answering requires separating the founding families' personal Zionism from the company's corporate record. Founders' heirs Simon Marks and Israel Sieff were leading British Zionists who worked closely with Chaim Weizmann in the run-up to the 1917 Balfour Declaration; Rebecca Sieff co-founded WIZO in 1920; and Marcus Sieff, chairman 1972–1984, advised Israel's defence ministry on supplies in 1948 and later chaired Britain's Export Committee for Israel — personal and philanthropic commitments of 'The Family', not board resolutions of the plc. At the corporate level the documented record is commercial: decades of large-scale sourcing of Israeli produce and clothing (around £240 million a year circa 2000, when a spokeswoman said M&S was 'very proud' of its history with Israel), settlement-sourced goods dropped from around 2007–2008, and continued Israeli sourcing since. The company has faced boycott campaigns since 2000 (IHRC pickets) but today describes itself as a non-political, secular retailer; Ethical Consumer notes no reports of ideological support for Israel since 2004, and M&S does not appear in the BDS National Committee's December 2024 boycott guide or the UN OHCHR settlement-business database. No corporate donations by Marks & Spencer Group plc to the Israeli state, army or Israel-linked charities were found.

CUFI UK — The Jewish roots of M&S Wikipedia — Marcus Sieff, Baron Sieff of Brimpton IHRC — Chronology of the M&S–Israel relationship Ethical Consumer — Marks & Spencer Group plc profile OpenIntel — Marks & Spencer dossier

Timeline of documented support

19901993199619992002200520081990 — Public statement: Israel (economic development, as stated company objective)Public statement19902000-12 — Operations in Israel: Israeli suppliers (produce, Delta Galil underwear, Polgat suits and other goods)Operations in Israel2000-122008 — Operations in Israel: Israeli produce suppliers (settlement goods dropped from around 2007–2008)Operations in Israel2008

Documented support

TypeDateAmountRecipientSources
Public statement1990—Israel (economic development, as stated company objective)
Lord Marcus Sieff, Marks & Spencer's chairman from 1972 to 1984, wrote in his 1990 book 'Management: The Marks & Spencer Way' that one of the fundamental objectives of M&S is to aid the economic development of Israel. The quote is cited by both pro-Israel organizations celebrating the company's record and by boycott campaigners; it reflects the leadership era of the founding Marks and Sieff families rather than any published objective of today's company, which has described itself as apolitical for the past two decades.
Operations in Israel2000-12—Israeli suppliers (produce, Delta Galil underwear, Polgat suits and other goods)
Around 2000, Marks & Spencer's purchases of Israeli goods were reported at roughly £240 million a year (the Jewish Chronicle, December 2000; the Jerusalem Report put the figure at $233 million), spanning avocados and other produce, Delta Galil underwear, Polgat suits and lingerie. When nationwide store pickets began in December 2000, an M&S spokeswoman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: 'We have a history and a background with Israel that we are very proud of.' The trade relationship is corporate commercial sourcing; M&S has continued to stock Israeli produce and clothing since.
Operations in Israel2008—Israeli produce suppliers (settlement goods dropped from around 2007–2008)
Marks & Spencer continues to sell Israeli fruit, vegetables, herbs, dates and clothing. The Guardian reported in 2004 that M&S stocked an extensive range of products from Israeli settlements; from 2007 the company repeatedly stated it does not stock goods from the occupied territories, writing in 2008: 'We do not buy products from the West Bank, Golan Heights or Gaza as we cannot safely visit the suppliers in these areas because of the current security situation.' The corporate position is thus continued sourcing from Israel proper while excluding settlement suppliers — a security-based, not political, rationale in the company's own wording.

Frequently asked questions

Did Marks & Spencer Group plc donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?

We have no records of cash donations, but Marks & Spencer Group plc has documented support of other kinds (Public statement, Operations in Israel). See the records on this page.

Where does this information come from?

Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 7 distinct sources are cited for Marks & Spencer Group plc. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.

Sources & citations

Record last updated: 2026-07-29

Companies with documented support