Swedish clothing giant H&M has opened its doors for the first time in Israel, leading to ecstatic shopping frenzies as well as anti-Israel-related protests.
On March 11, H&M opened at the popular Azrieli Center mall in Tel Aviv's Azrieli Towers. By the time the doors opened at 11 AM, thousands of people had crowded around the entrance.
An estimated 15,000 eager shoppers from as far away as Eilat swarmed the 2,000 square meters of fashion merchandise on Thursday, snatching up approximately NIS 3 million in goods.
Yet while the fashion-forward lauded H&M's arrival, radical pro-Arab and anti-Israel groups decried the decision with boycotts and protests.
European organizations published attacks against the company's management, saying H&M chose "to invest in Israel at the moment the Goldstone report and international organizations, which H&M cooperates with like the UN and UNICEF, are reporting on the crimes Israel committed in breach of international law and human rights."
Also last week, Swedish furniture and housewares conglomerate IKEA opened its second Israeli branch in Rishon Letzion, and Gap its second branch in Tel Aviv.
On March 11, H&M opened at the popular Azrieli Center mall in Tel Aviv's Azrieli Towers. By the time the doors opened at 11 AM, thousands of people had crowded around the entrance.
An estimated 15,000 eager shoppers from as far away as Eilat swarmed the 2,000 square meters of fashion merchandise on Thursday, snatching up approximately NIS 3 million in goods.
Yet while the fashion-forward lauded H&M's arrival, radical pro-Arab and anti-Israel groups decried the decision with boycotts and protests.
European organizations published attacks against the company's management, saying H&M chose "to invest in Israel at the moment the Goldstone report and international organizations, which H&M cooperates with like the UN and UNICEF, are reporting on the crimes Israel committed in breach of international law and human rights."
Also last week, Swedish furniture and housewares conglomerate IKEA opened its second Israeli branch in Rishon Letzion, and Gap its second branch in Tel Aviv.