Lush shutdown described as selective outrage
Cosmetics retailer Lush has drawn sharp criticism from within Australia’s Jewish community and beyond after closing all its stores, website, and Sydney factory for a day in protest over what it called the “starvation in Gaza.”
The company described the action as a humanitarian gesture, but many argue it crossed into political bias and antisemitic messaging.
The shutdown, held on Thursday, October 23, saw posters on storefronts reading “Stop starving Gaza – We are closed in solidarity.” Lush said it wanted to highlight restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory, claiming that “the Israeli government is preventing urgent humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza.” The company said staff were paid for the day and described the move as an ethical stand in support of civilians.
Westfield Lush store with Gaza sign covered up (X.com)
Jewish community figures condemned the campaign as a distortion that vilifies Israel and ignores the atrocities committed by Hamas. Lynda Ben-Menashe, President of the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia, accused Lush of spreading misinformation and singling out Israel for condemnation.
“Lush stores across Australia closed today to protest ‘starvation in Gaza’,” she said. “Perhaps Lush management is not aware that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in effect for almost two weeks, and that the UN has declared there is enough food to feed all Gazans for three months. Australian women, including Jewish women, go into stores like Lush to buy beauty products, not to be faced with implied blood libels against the Jewish state.”
She noted that Lush’s own ethics policy claims the brand strives to create safe spaces for customers and staff, but said this action betrayed that promise. “Apparently this policy doesn’t apply to all customers,” she said. “The question is why Lush shut down to protest the supposed starvation of Palestinians, but not the actual starvation of Yemenis, Sudanese or North Koreans. It didn’t shut down to protest the public executions of Palestinians this week, by Hamas. When it’s implied that only the Jewish state warrants a shutdown, the question has to be asked: do Lush’s politics stink of antisemitism as much as their products stink of watermelon?”
Others in the community echoed that view, describing the protest as one-sided and inflammatory, particularly in suburbs like Bondi, which has a large Jewish population, and in Westfield malls historically associated with Jewish ownership.
Some shopping centres covered the signs or reportedly issued breach notices to the company. Online, calls for boycotts spread quickly, with users pointing to the company’s silence following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
The controversy mirrors similar actions by Lush overseas. In September 2025, the company shut all its UK stores, factories, and online operations for a day under the same “Stop starving Gaza” slogan. Earlier, Lush Ireland had joined the UK initiative, while several European branches issued statements condemning Israel’s blockade. The coordinated protests drew both praise from pro-Palestinian groups and condemnation from Jewish organisations across Europe for perpetuating what they described as “one-sided political propaganda”.
Lush Cosmetics website on Thursday
Lush Cosmetics has faced repeated allegations of antisemitism tied to its political activism on Israel-Palestine issues. This began in 2011 when Jewish groups in the UK protested the company’s partnership with the anti-Israel charity OneWorld for a “Freedom for Palestine” project and its support for War on Want, an organisation accused of bias against Israel and endorsing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
In 2023, a Dublin store displayed a “Boycott Israel” sign, sparking outrage from Jewish communities who viewed it as inflammatory and antisemitic during the Israel-Hamas conflict, leading to its removal. In 2024, employees at a New York store allegedly shouted “vile antisemitic insults” at Jewish protesters during a march against antisemitism, prompting an internal investigation and boycott calls.
Israel’s foreign ministry has rejected accusations of deliberate starvation, saying the country meets its obligations under international law. Jewish organisations in Australia warn that corporate gestures like Lush’s contribute to rising hostility and deepen community divides. Several advocacy groups have also expressed concern that such actions can embolden antisemitic rhetoric disguised as political protest.
For many Jewish Australians, the incident has reinforced unease about how the Israel–Gaza conflict is discussed in public spaces and commercial settings. The criticism of Lush reflects broader frustration with what some view as moral selectivity among corporations seeking to align with social causes. Whether this episode hurts Lush’s brand remains to be seen, but the public reaction suggests the cost of political posturing may be higher than anticipated.
It is time that you all get it right – Hamas were deliberately blocking any humanitarian aid and food to the starving Palestinians. They confiscated and raided anything and everything for themselves. If you really care please note that the Palestinians children, hence kindergarten and schools, or the sick as in hospitals, were used as humane shields to hide Hamas headquarters and tunnels. It is appalling and disturbing how deliberate misinformation or sheer ignorance is displayed by major companies to make their objection and “statement” valid or is this a form to promote themselves as caring. Rightfully did Lynda Ben Menashe highlight the starvation and disasters in other parts of the world that are totally ignore. Be aware that ignorance is not a means to promote goodwill, it rather adds turmoil to already mishandled ‘burning’ issues.
Great response by Lynda Ben Menashe. Perfect, in fact. That’s what we need, forthright language with the fact. She is obviously going to play a strong part in advocacy for Jewish women and Israel in what is a recent appointment as President of NCJWA. I look forward to hearing more of her.