This Advent, let’s be peacemakers instead of genocide enablers. Boycott Amazon when it matters most.
Christmas without Genocide
why we’re boycotting Amazon
deliver us from genocide. deliver us from ICE. deliver us from exploitation. deliver us from greed. deliver us from mass surveillance. deliver us from Amazon. deliver us from evil.
deliver us from genocide. deliver us from ICE. deliver us from exploitation. deliver us from greed. deliver us from mass surveillance. deliver us from Amazon. deliver us from evil.
According to the UN Special Rapporteur’s report:
“Microsoft, Alphabet (Google) and Amazon grant Israel virtually government-wide access to their cloud and artificial intelligence technologies, enhancing data processing, decision making and surveillance and analysis capacities. In October 2023, when the Israeli internal military cloud overloaded, Microsoft, with its Azure platform, and the Project Nimbus consortium stepped in with critical cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Their Israel-located servers ensure data sovereignty and a shield from accountability, under favourable contracts offering minimal restrictions or oversight. In July 2024, an Israeli colonel described cloud tech as a weapon in every sense of the word, citing these companies.”
Amazon, along with Google, has been providing Israel with cloud infrastructure and AI tools to store and process large swaths of surveillance data that is used to track and target civilians through Project Nimbus. Israel’s system of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide is deeply dependent on these technology tools.
As a retailer, Amazon also operates in the occupied territories, sustaining their economies and supporting settler expansion.
Amazon also has a troubling history of union-busting and worker exploitation. They have also entered into contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in support of ICE. The convenience they offer comes at a cost to human dignity and the sustainability of our planet. These practices are antithetical to our shared vision for human flourishing and the Christmas message of “peace on earth, goodwill to mankind.”
Boycotting Amazon for Advent is an invitation to refocus on what makes the season special: not a shopping extravaganza, but a time of reflection, anticipation, and hope.
what does it mean to boycott Amazon?
What does it mean to boycott Amazon?
We’re sending a message that we won’t, as consumers, support businesses that are complicit with genocide, starting with Amazon. For this Advent season, we’re asking you to:
Don’t purchase anything from Amazon, from November 21st through December 25th
Uninstall the Amazon shopping app from your phones and other devices on Black Friday
Want to go all in? On Black Friday:
Cancel Prime
Cancel Audible, Kindle+, Amazon Fresh, Music, or other Amazon services
Turn off your Alexa
Don’t buy groceries from Whole Foods
Ask your friends to do the same
We can’t have business as usual when the stakes
are so high.
thoughtful giving during Christmas
It wasn’t meant to be like this: one-day shipping, long hours for retail and warehouse workers, debt to pay for gifts, the season’s trending toy. At least, it wasn’t until capitalism and American media co-opted a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Christmas is a celebration of hope, of God’s plan for the salvation of humankind. This salvation is both eternal and immediate. We no longer have to live by the measures of the world, nor be burdened by its expectations. Christmas is an antidote to the everyday demands, distractions, and suffering of the world.
Still, it can be hard to break free of the expectation to give gifts. We fear judgement, disappointment, and strained relationships. If you give a gift this season, consider simple gifts that are sustainable, durable, relationship-focused, and truly meet a need. Our planet, our homes, and our lives don’t need any more clutter.
We’ve curated a list of shops, artisans, and Palestinian businesses below. In the spirit of honoring another of God’s gifts, our planet, also consider regifting a present, buying from a local thrift store, buying a membership to a local museum, or offering the gift of time: a warm drink or a shared meal. Humans are made for connection, and anything that fosters it will be especially appreciated.
we don’t need more toys
gift ideas that aren’t things:
Museum membership
Zoo or aquarium pass
Movie night gift cards
Amusement park tickets
Mini golf outing
Bowling passes
Ice skating session
Indoor play place passes
Trampoline park pass
Arcade game credits
Kids’ cooking class
Art or music lessons
Science center admission
Children’s theater tickets
Sporting event tickets
Escape room visit
Train or trolley ride
Farm or petting zoo visit
Camping trip
Beach or pool day
alternatives to Amazon
Books
Bookshop
Powell’s Books
Green Apple Books
Toys
Five Little Monkeys
Fat Brain Toys
Wooden Wagon
Melissa & Doug
Bella Luna
Crunchlabs
Cheeky Monkey
Book Apps
(instead of Kindle)
Libby
Rakuten Kobo
Makeup
Credo
Groceries
Costco
Aldi
InstaCart (delivery)
Local grocery stores
Clothes
REI
Patagonia
Poshmark
Mercari
Wear Consciously
Palestinian Gift Shops
Shop Palestine
Handmade Palestine
Gifts
Etsy
Uncommon Goods
Novica
Little Blue Cart
Shoptiques
Christian Zionism got us here…
reclaiming Christianity’s vision for peace is the only way out.
End Times Theology
Christian Zionism promotes end-times theologies which characterize Muslims as the enemy of Christianity who must be vanquished, specifically in the Middle East to usher in the second coming of Jesus. It erases Christian Palestinians and defines Muslim Palestinians as the evil enemy, while objectifying Jews and requiring their presence in the region for their apocalyptic scenarios. (From Beyond Christian Dominance newsletter)
Economic Theology
Motivated by economic connections to a prosperous Israeli state, Christian Zionism holds fast to a misreading of Genesis 12:3, where God says to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse...” This falsely conflates the biblical Hebrews with modern Israel. Drawing on principles taken from the prosperity gospel, which is a misguided belief that God will reward people with financial and material success, Christian Zionism states that one’s experience of blessing is predicated upon on one’s support for the state of Israel. (From Counter CUFI toolkit)
Settler Colonial Theology
In the rhetoric of Christian Zionists, Palestinians have no claim to the land, have no legitimate grievances, and should simply be driven from the area and dispersed to other Arab countries. Deeply reminiscent of U.S. genocidal policies towards Native Americans, the level of racism and Islamophobia in Christian Zionist policy promotes an uncompromising, expansionist, no-peace-negotiation stance on the part of Israel and the U.S. towards Palestinians, and continues to be a major obstacle to any progress in ending the violence and creating a lasting and just solution in the region. (From BCD newsletter)
Level of Christian Zionist support
The largest of these organizations, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), report a following of eight million members; this is more than ten times the size of the more well-known lobby group AIPAC.
CUFI has shifted from a fringe to a mainstream movement that contributes tens of millions of dollars to Israel. There is little transparency about CUFI’s funding because U.S. tax codes do not require religious charities to disclose finances publicly. In November of 2023 founder John Hagee (a known anti-Semite) spoke alongside Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Mike Johnson at the March for Israel in Washington DC.
Christian Friends of Israeli Communities is another example. They work with U.S. churches to “adopt” illegal settlements in the West Bank. As of 2006 they have funded programs in over a third of the settlements in the Occupied Territories.
Important to note that the very existence of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories violates international humanitarian law and is a war crime. (Amnesty International)
“CFOIC Heartland enables Christians to connect with the Jewish communities (settlements) in the heart of Biblical Israel. Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”) are not occupied territory. These communities are located in the very heartland of Biblical Israel.”
resources
FAQs
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The sad reality is that there are many businesses who have provided the infrastructure to Israel to continue its genocide and systems of apartheid and ethnic cleansing. These companies include Nvidia, Palantir, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Lockheed Martin, and many more.
The challenge for us consumers is that many of these companies are buffered from consumer action due to the fact they have a near monopoly (e.g. Google) or are not consumer-facing.
It can also be a challenge to get people on board with boycotting a long list of companies; it can dilute the impact. This is where Amazon made strategic sense. However, we encourage you to learn more about the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) and the UN Special Rapporteur’s finding.You can also sign up for our “Advent Action-a-Day” to take additional steps to support Palestinians. If you are feeling inspired, there are many more ways to participate in the movement to free Palestine.
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You can stop purchasing from Amazon anytime. However, we want to send a clear signal to Amazon that the dip in their profits during the holiday season are not due to an economic slump but rather an intentional boycott. That’s why we’re asking everyone who’s participating in the boycott to cancel all Amazon-related subscriptions and delete their apps on Black Friday. That way, there’s no mistaking what’s driving the decrease in sales.
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Message us at advent@menno.org to learn more.
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