Chain emails and SMSs have been circulating calling for a boycott of Lidl and Aldi supermarkets claiming that:

“Lidl and Aldi supermarkets declared publicly on TV from their HQ’s in Germany that they will donate all their takings/ revenue to Israel during this war on Gaza.”

This is not true, Aldi and Lidl have both put statements out saying that they do not fund Israel

On their Digital Press Centre Aldi have said:

ALDI DOES NOT FUND THE ISRAEL ? GAZA CONFLICT
12/01/2009
Following the communication of unfounded rumours, Aldi confirms that it does not provide Israel with any source of financial funding or support the Israel ? Gaza conflict. Aldi has never declared that it will donate store revenue to Israel during the conflict and any such claims are completely untrue. One of Aldi?s core principles is to remain independent of any political views and situations.

Lidl also have a statement on their German website (translated using Yahoo’s Babelfish translator):

Rumor ?donations for Israel?

Up-to-date a rumor circulates in various Internet forums the fact that among other things Lidl the European-wide incomes of Friday, which 09.01.2009 and Saturday, which, at Israel wants to donate 10.01.2009.

Lidl disclaims this rumor:
The rumor circulating in the Internet lacks any basis.

Now, the question has to arise why would someone start this rumour in the first place? Then the question arises (and I have asked this question before) why do Muslims insist on circulating information that they have not verified?

People should expend their energies in boycotting Israeli goods and asking their super markets to, at the very least, not stock Israeli goods from stolen/occupied Palestinian land.