Pressure on Sainsbury’s management is escalating this week as Palestine campaigners announced plans for a protest against Israeli goods’ exporters at the supermarket’s annual general meeting tomorrow.

Campaigners have been lobbying the company’s new chief executive Mike Coupe to end contracts with corporations profiting from the products of Israeli settlements. 

Mr Coupe had made grand statements on Sainsbury’s commitment to fair trading last year before his appointment. 

“If Sainsbury’s wants to pride itself of being an ethical seller it has to stop doing business with companies that profit from settlement products,” said Palestine Solidarity Campaign spokeswoman Sarah Colborne.

The supermarket already has a commitment not to sell produce from Israeli settlements but it still does business with companies importing those goods into other countries.

The day of action has been called by the Sainsbury’s Campaign — a group of activists and customers concerned with the group’s lack of honesty. 

Campaign spokeswoman Hilary Smith said that people buy Sainsbury’s products thinking the company “can be trusted.”

Fellow supermarket giant the Cooperative has severed dealings with companies such as Agrexco, Arava Export Growers, Adafresh and Mehadrin.

Ms Smith told the Star she hoped Sainsbury’s would follow suit.

“The public are increasingly aware of human rights issues.” she added. 

“People on the street are very supportive of this campaign because it is rooted in justice, pure and simple.”

She vouched the campaign would not “go away.”

A petition signed by over 5,000 people is set to be handed to Sainsbury’s chairman David Tyler during the day.