Whiskey boycott urged in reponse to Scottish council’s anti-Israel effort

The umbrella body for men’s clubs at North American Conservative synagogues is calling for a boycott of certain whiskey brands in retaliation for an anti-Israel boycott by a Scottish local government.

The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs called for the boycott in response to the West Dunbartonshire Council’s recent decision to boycott Israeli goods, The Jerusalem Post reported. The federation called on its members to stop buying whiskeys made by West Dumbartonshire distillers for use in Kiddush and other celebrations.

Whiskey is a popular drink among men’s Kiddush clubs at synagogues. The counter-boycott was originally launched by the Muqata Blog, run by an Israeli who writes under the pseudonym Jameel Rashid. Among the distillers named in a letter posted on the blog are Morrison Bowmore, Loch Lamond and Chivas Brothers.

Kirsteen Beeston, a spokeswoman for Morrison Bowmore Distillers, told The Jerusalem Post that her company does not take political positions and that the West Dunbartonshire Council’s policy “has been made independently from us, and without our consultation.”