John Lewis Partnership - Economic Audit: Domain Domain Research Report

Supply Chain & Sourcing Relationships

Direct Supplier Relationships

John Lewis Partnership’s own factory list (end-July 2025) confirms Ardom Dates - a date-processing facility in Hevel Eilot, Israel (postcode 8882000), employing 46 workers - as a current food-category supplier to the partnership ¹. Ardom Group is jointly owned by nine Southern Arava kibbutzim (Yahel, Lotan, Neot Smadar, Nave Harif, Ketura, Grofit, Yotvata, Samar, and Elifaz), and its exports are marketed under the Hadiklaim Israel Date Growers Cooperative brand ².

Waitrose & Partners was specifically named in a legal notice issued by the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) on 30 October 2024, sent to eight UK supermarket chains, identifying Mehadrin, Miriam, Shoham, Galilee, Hadiklaim, and Achdut-Achva as the principal Israeli settlement agricultural exporters supplying UK supermarkets, with dates, mangos, avocados, tahini, halva, and bakery products as the specified product categories ³.

Galilee Export is identified in independent reporting as one of Israel’s largest fresh produce exporters, shipping avocados, citrus, Medjool dates, mangoes, pomegranates, and Sharon fruit to European customers, with approximately US$300 million in turnover in 2024 ⁴⁵. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) publishes a business and human rights database covering enterprises in the Occupied Palestinian Territory pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 31/36 and 53/25 ⁶⁷.

EUobserver (2026) documents approximately 45 Israeli settlement firms exporting to the European Union, with UK supermarkets as documented recipients; named settlement exporters reaching European shops include Hadiklaim (dates), Jordan River (herbs), Carmel (citrus), and Psagot/Shilo/Zion wines ⁴.

Historical Settlement Sourcing

The Guardian documented Waitrose in 2008 selling organic cut herbs from West Bank settlement farms near Mehola, Argaman, and Roi, labelled “West Bank” rather than “Produce of Israel,” with Waitrose telling customers at the time that “the farms are located in disputed territories” ⁸.

ICJP’s December 2024 and December 2025 press releases specifically called on the UK Government to review supermarkets’ complicity in illegal Israeli settlement trade ahead of Christmas trading periods, referencing ongoing concerns about settlement-origin produce reaching UK consumers through major retailers ⁹¹⁰.

Supply Chain Policy Framework

JLP’s Responsible Sourcing Code of Practice (2017) requires supplier compliance with the ETI Base Code; it does not specifically address occupied-territory origin labelling ¹¹. JLP’s Human Rights Policy v3 (January 2026) defines “occupied” per UN/ICJ/ICC determinations and states that JLP and its suppliers must “avoid any economic engagement that directly benefits the occupying power within territories designated as ‘occupied’ under international law,” while permitting trade in occupied territories only if it benefits the local population and complies with applicable UK Government trade regulations ¹².

Importer of Record and Intermediary Structure

No public evidence identified of a dedicated JLP-owned import subsidiary, joint venture, or named import entity serving as importer of record for goods from Israel or occupied territories ¹². No public evidence identified of a direct procurement contract between John Lewis/Waitrose and Mehadrin UK Ltd (MM(UK)) or between John Lewis/Waitrose and Galilee Export specifically confirmed in public disclosures ⁴¹³.

Indirect and Third-Party Sourcing

Whether John Lewis or Waitrose sources indirectly from named settlement exporters (Hadiklaim, Jordan River, Carmel, Psagot/Shilo/Zion wines) via UK distributors or logistics intermediaries has not been specifically confirmed in publicly available disclosures ⁴.

Product Origin, Labeling & Regulatory Compliance

Settlement-Origin Products Currently in Stock

ICJP identified dates, mangos, avocados, tahini, halva, and bakery products as product categories sourced from named settlement agricultural exporters (Mehadrin, Galilee, Hadiklaim) reaching UK supermarkets including Waitrose ³. Ardom Dates appears on JLP’s current factory list as a confirmed active supplier, with the processing facility in Hevel Eilot drawing from agricultural production across the Arava/Jordan Valley region ¹². Whether Ardom’s specific product inputs originate within or beyond the Green Line has not been product-level verified in public disclosures.

UK imports of dates totalled £77.3 million in 2024, with Israel as the largest source at 32% (£24.7 million); approximately 40% of Israeli date production originates in illegal settlements per Ethical Consumer research ¹⁴.

Waitrose Foundation’s 2024/25 Progress Report documents operations across ten countries (Kenya, Senegal/Gambia, Costa Rica, South Africa, and others), with no Israel-specific grants identified ¹⁵.

Labeling Compliance

No public evidence identified of government advisories, enforcement actions, or regulatory citations specifically against John Lewis or Waitrose for settlement goods labelling violations, including no identified FOI requests, parliamentary questions, or DEFRA/Trading Standards enforcement actions on this specific basis ¹¹.

Corporate Labelling Policy

JLP’s Human Rights Policy v3 (January 2026) requires supplier adherence to applicable UK Government trade regulations as a condition of trade in occupied territories, but does not prescribe specific product-labelling standards for settlement-origin goods beyond regulatory compliance ¹².

SodaStream

John Lewis has faced sustained calls from campaign groups to stop selling SodaStream products; the ICJP issued a press release in December 2025 specifically referencing John Lewis’s failure to address allegations over SodaStream’s exploitation of Palestinian workers ⁹. Electronic Intifada reported in December 2025 that a UK retailer refused to abandon SodaStream, and Yahoo News / The Telegraph separately reported that John Lewis defied demands to stop selling SodaStream ¹⁶¹⁷.

Investment, Capital & Financial Exposure

Foreign Direct Investment

No public evidence identified of direct capital investments by John Lewis Partnership within Israel or occupied territories, including acquisitions, factories, data centres, logistics hubs, or real estate holdings ¹⁸.

R&D and Innovation Centres

No public evidence identified of R&D facilities, technology partnerships, innovation labs, or accelerator programmes operated by John Lewis Partnership within Israel ¹⁸.

Parent and Beneficial Ownership

John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned business governed by a trust for all Partners; there is no external private equity sponsor, listed parent, or controlling beneficial owner ¹⁸. JLP’s 2024/25 Annual Report identifies John Lewis International Limited (company number 07501166) as a named subsidiary; the nature of its international operations has not been further disclosed in publicly available filings ¹⁸. Jason Tarry is listed on UK Companies House as a JLP director with active appointments, having joined as Chairman in September 2024 following more than 33 years at Tesco ¹⁹. Nish Kankiwala is also listed with active Companies House appointments at JLP ²⁰. No separate parent-level investments in Israeli companies or settlement enterprises have been identified for JLP’s trust, trustees, or beneficial ownership structures.

Pension Trust Portfolio Exposure

The JLP Defined Benefit Pension Trust is governed by Falcon Trustees LLP (corporate trustee, appointed February 2025), represented by Venetia Trayhurn ²¹. Mercer serves as investment consultant to the DB Section, and the Defined Benefit Sub-Committee handles manager selection ²². The September 2024 DB Statement of Investment Principles states that there have been no material changes to the kinds of investments held by the Trust over the Trust Year ²². The DC Implementation Statement names Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP) as DC investment adviser ²³.

No public evidence identified of Israeli sovereign bonds, Israeli equities, or settlement-linked investments confirmed in the JLP pension trust’s publicly disclosed investment portfolio; specific investment manager names and fund holdings are not publicly disclosed in the DB SIP or DC Implementation Statement ²²²¹²³.

Operational Presence & Market Activity

Physical Footprint

No public evidence identified of offices, sales operations, support centres, warehouses, or retail locations operated by John Lewis Partnership within Israel or occupied territories ¹⁸.

Employment and Tax Contribution

John Lewis Partnership has no known workforce or regulatory registration within the Israeli jurisdiction ¹⁸.

Market Characterisation

The JLP plc Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25 reports partnership sales of £12.8 billion and profit before tax of £97 million; Israel is not characterised as a market, sourcing origin, or strategic growth region in this filing ¹⁸. No public evidence identified of investor presentations, press releases, or annual reports characterising Israel as a market of any kind for John Lewis Partnership ¹⁸.

Corporate Structure & Foundational Ties

Founding and Incorporation History

John Lewis Partnership was founded in the United Kingdom and has no Israeli founding or incorporation history ¹⁸.

Headquarters and Domicile

John Lewis Partnership plc is domiciled and headquartered in the United Kingdom (London) ¹⁸.

State and Institutional Linkages

No public evidence identified of state ownership stakes, government board appointees, government contracts, or critical national infrastructure designations connecting John Lewis Partnership to the Israeli state ¹⁸.

Structural Governance Features

JLP is governed as an employee-owned partnership; no golden shares, founder shares, or charter restrictions tying operations to the Israeli state or its policy objectives have been identified ¹⁸.

Profit Repatriation & Economic Contribution

Revenue Attribution

The JLP plc Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25 does not disclose revenue generated from or attributed to Israel as a market or sourcing origin ¹⁸.

Profit Flows

No public evidence identified characterising the direction of profit flows between JLP and Israel, or JLP’s significance within any sector of the Israeli economy ¹⁸.

Economic Ecosystem Role

John Lewis Partnership has no identified role within the Israeli economy ¹⁸.

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