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href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/lush-companies-should-use-power-privilege-speak-out-over-gaza"
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Lush says companies should
use 'power and privilege' to speak out over Gaza</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Ava Warriner</div>
<div class="gmail-meta-data">
<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time">September 7, 2025</div>
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<p>Lush Cosmetics has defended its decision to close
its stores in a one-day act of solidarity with Gaza,
with its director of ethics telling Middle East Eye
it was an "act of desperation".</p>
<p>Hilary Jones said companies had a duty to use their
platforms to raise global issues.</p>
<p>"People in positions of power and privilege, which
we are, we own shops on the busiest high streets in
the world and we should be using that platform to
help people who don't have that platform," she said.</p>
<p>"And in the circumstance at the moment, the people
of Gaza are not being heard, they're not being seen.
And so, it was a no-brainer for us to use our
windows to say something and to bring it to the
attention of the government."</p>
<p>The company, one of the largest beauty retailers in
the <a
href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/uk"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">UK</a>,
shut its shops in the country in a one-day
demonstration of solidarity with <a
href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/israel-genocide-gaza"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">Gaza</a> on
Wednesday.</p>
<p>Alongside its more than 100 locations in the UK,
Lush also closed its factories and website.</p>
<p>Jones conceded that the move could have risked the
company losing money, but said it was necessary in
the current climate.</p>
<p>"I think I think it's fair to say that it's almost
an act of desperation," she said.</p>
<p>The closure came as <a
href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">Israel</a>\u2019s ongoing
genocide in the Gaza Strip nears its second year -
with a death toll of more than 63,000 - and amid a <a
href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-famine-deaths-surge-israel-escalates-air-strikes"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">surge</a>
in famine-related deaths, as Israel continues to
block almost all food, aid and medical supplies from
entering the besieged enclave. </p>
<p>The UK suspended some <a
href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-suspends-30-arms-exports-israel-over-gaza-war-crimes-concerns"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">arms export
licences</a> to Israel in September 2024 over the
risk of UK-made weapons being used in violation of
international law in the Gaza Strip. </p>
<p>Arms campaigners and dozens of MPs have <a
href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/nearly-60-british-mps-and-peers-call-full-arms-embargo-israel"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">called for</a>
a full embargo on arms exports to Israel, as well as
greater transparency from the government over the
military export licences it approves.</p>
<p>"All of us around the world that want to help are
feeling that frustration. And as a business, you
know, there aren't that many ways of expressing it,"
said Jones.</p>
<p>"So, in light of not being able to do anything
physical to help, it just leaves the messaging. And
as a retail business and as a manufacturing
business, we really felt that the strongest message
that we could give was to stop what we were doing,
to simply stop and say: 'You know, this, this is all
we can do.'"</p>
<h3>'An absolute disgrace'</h3>
<p>Many in the UK have become increasingly frustrated
at the government's seemingly contradictory stances
on the war in Gaza.</p>
<p>On Monday afternoon, Foreign Secretary David Lammy
told parliament that the government intends to
follow through on its threat to recognise a
Palestinian state later this month if Israel fails
to meet a series of conditions.</p>
<p>Those conditions, <a
href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/britain-affirms-support-plo-principles-and-1967-borders"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">announced</a> in
late July, include Israel agreeing to a ceasefire
and pledging not to annex any of the occupied West
Bank. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, military cooperation with Israel has
quietly continued.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>'It's an absolute disgrace that it's come to
this, that the only thing we could do was shut it'</p>
<p>- <em>Hilary Jones, Lush ethics director</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The government has exempted licences for UK parts
for F-35 fighter jets, which are used in Gaza, from
an arms embargo on Israel.</p>
<p>Surveillance flights over Gaza have also continued,
with Britain\u2019s Ministry of Defence (MoD) sharing
intelligence with Israel.</p>
<p>The MoD has insisted the flights are to assist in
the rescue of captives, but details remain shrouded
in secrecy. It is unclear whether the data provided
has been used in Israeli air strikes that have
killed civilians.</p>
<p>Lush has long aligned itself with progressive
causes. </p>
<p>In September 2019, the company closed its doors for
a day as part of a <a
href="https://www.allure.com/story/lush-closing-for-global-climate-strike"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">global
climate strike</a>, inspired by Swedish climate
activist Greta Thunberg.</p>
<p>Jones said that Lush was "born out of consumer
boycotts", referring to its choice not to stock
products that are tested on animals and involve
other unethical practices.</p>
<p>"It's an absolute disgrace that it's come to this,
that the only thing we could do was shut it," said
Jones.</p>
<p>"Every government of this world needs to be
speaking out about what's happening. Every charity
needs to be speaking out about what's happening.
Every institution, education institutions, health
institutions in countries all over the world should
be speaking up."</p>
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