It looks like Sears may have just found itself in some hot water with its online customer base after the department store recently began selling a line of t-shirts on their website emblazoned with the message “Free Palestine!”
The clearly anti-Israel apparel has many outraged, with some calling for an all-out boycott of the retailer.
There are a few different designs on the website, all sporting the words “Free Palestine” and "End Israeli Occupation." One of the more alarming designs depicts the slogan along with the geographical image of Israel.
This line of shirts brings to mind a chant heard at Students for Justice in Palestine rallies: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” This chant, while catchy, refers to the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which is the entirety of the current state of Israel.
These shirts are reportedly being sold through Sears by a company called the Spreadshirt Collection. The company has its own website full of pro-Palestine clothing, including a shirt with an image of a child soldier along with the words “Do not let him fight alone.”
The use of children in armed conflict is against the law, and the depiction of them as soldiers is unpalatable.
Following the backlash, the Jerusalem Post actually reached out to Sears about their decision to sell the shirts through their website. The chain admitted the shirts are from the Spreadshirt Collection, and added they would be removing the shirts within 24 hours to avoid offending their customers.