Calls to boycott Dis-Chem are intensifying after major shareholder Mark Saltzman attacked journalist Redi Tlhabi over Gaza on social media.
Calls to boycott pharmacy giant Dis-Chem are intensifying after majority shareholder Mark Saltzman publicly attacked journalist Redi Tlhabi over Gaza, turning a social media exchange into a wider argument about corporate identity, philanthropy, political speech and public accountability.
The exchange began after Tlhabi responded to a Haaretz article examining the reputational damage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has inflicted on Israel globally. Tlhabi argued that the damage was not limited to Netanyahu.
“For many of us, it is not Netanyahu’s,” she wrote. “It is Israel’s supporters — those with whom we shared lives, ideas and hopes.”
Saltzman responded aggressively, accusing Tlhabi of spreading misinformation and expressing hatred towards Jewish people. The backlash escalated after he referenced financial support linked to his family and the Dis-Chem Foundation while attacking her online.
