"Tnuva Food Industries Ltd. can now do some soul-searching over its treatment of the Israeli consumer," cottage protest organizer Itzik Alrov told “IDF Radio" (Galei Zahal) in response to the resignation of Tnuva chairwoman and Apax Partners Israel CEO Zehavit Cohen today. He added, "Tnuva can lower prices, instead of pursuing its confusing discounts. What consumers really want is lower prices."
Alrov launched the cottage cheese boycott in June, after a series of "Globes" investigative reports on the high cost of dairy and other food products in Israel. Public pressure resulted in the establishment of the Kedmi committee on food prices. The committee is scheduled to publish its final recommendations by the end of the year.
At the height of the protest, Zehavit Cohen told Channel 2 that she would not lower prices and that it was the government's responsibility to present a solution to the high cost of dairy products.
In September, students launched a new boycott of Tnuva. Tel Aviv University Student Union chairman Uri Restik said, "We consider Zehavit Cohen's resignation as admitting that Tnuva's conduct is problematic, and further proof that the consumer boycott of the company has worked. The consumer boycott targeted Tnuva, not any one person at the company. We will therefore continue the consumer boycott this week, with demonstrations outside more supermarkets nationwide. We call on [Tnuva's new chairman] Shlomo Rodev to immediately permanently cut prices, not merely through discounts."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 2, 2011
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