Why Boycott Dishon Bakery?
Dec 27, 2025
Dishon Bakery Boycott: What the Media Left Out
Last weekend, our chapter took action related to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. From Manchester to Gaza, we must all come together to demand justice. Yes, this action made people uncomfortable, but that discomfort is part of the point. If the Langs have willingly participated in a violent colonial venture, and then make no effort to account for it – or to publicly disavow it – it’s reasonable to ask why they should get to feel at peace every day while Palestinians live through a genocide and face fear, grief, displacement, and death on a daily basis. All we ask for is accountability. The Langs do not have to continue to proudly display the propaganda they’ve helped produce on professional websites. They can say that the genocide is happening and is wrong.
Gazans, including women and children, detained in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City in December (Moti Milrod, Haaretz).
To place yourselves in the shoes of someone who might live here as a refugee from the genocide in Palestine, would you not feel something is needed to be said if you learned a local baker helped destroy the lives of your friends, or loved ones? Some may want to believe that it was only within the past two years that the bloodshed and suffering began, but that is not the truth. This campaign is using a local issue to shine a light on the broader context of the ongoing genocide in Palestine. This is not about a small business or a religion. This is about a colonial project that began in 1948 with the Nakba. This is about IDF soldiers and veterans being complicit in crimes against humanity, and humiliating an entire people. The anxiety the Langs might have felt during the days leading up to this protest pale in comparison to the emotions, violence, and oppression felt by Palestinians dealing with an illegal occupation and decades-long genocide.
Who is Evan Lang? Beyond a Local Business Owner
Evan Lang is the owner of Dishon Bakery, and he is an American citizen that served in the IDF from 2013 to 2015.[1] Many people have attempted to bemoan our action by pointing out IDF service is compulsory for Israeli citizens. While this is true, it is conveniently ignored that Evan Lang was not born in Israel, and joined a foreign military that has been enagaged in a protracted genocide since the mid-twentieth century. During his time in the Spokesperson’s Unit, he served under Brig. Gen. Moti Almoz who oversaw “depopulation” missions within the occupied territories before becoming head of the IDF’s Civil Administration. Almoz has been quoted saying “We’re dealing with people who are not normal. Unequivocally. [Take their land], we should have been harvesting the wheat in Beit Hanoun already.”
During the time the Langs served in the IDF, Israel killed 2,580 Palestinians, injured more than 36,702 Palestinians, displaced over 500,742 Palestinians, built 1,780 illegal settlements, and demolished 539 Palestinian-owned structures. We are not asking anyone to enjoy conflict. We are saying that comfort is not an absolute moral priority when the stakes are human lives.
Some Much-Needed Context
Since this boycott launched on December 12th, Israeli forces have killed over 20 Palestinians, and two babies are included in those deaths. It’s important to note that multiple babies and children have died from exposure to freezing temperatures, starvation or malnutrition within this time frame as well.
We appreciate Manchester Information providing a somewhat neutral perspective on the protest, and including photographs from the event which highlight some very important contextual details. However, other outlets have decided to publish articles related to the protest that either conveniently left out these photographs or other important details. As residents of New Hampshire, we’re very familiar with the journalistic laziness that dominates the local media landscape, and that is why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to respond to Manchester Ink Link and NH Journal. We considered responding to the Granite Grok article and the various fringe influencers that posted about the event as well, but let’s be honest, why even bother? There’s no reason to indulge in their desperate attempts at relevancy.
NH Journal quotes Republican figures like former state Rep. Fred Doucette and GOP congressional candidate Brian Cole defending the bakery, and denouncing alleged antisemitism from protesters.
Two SNHDSA members displaying pro-Palestine signs at the Dishon Bakery picket on December 20th, 2025 (Manchester Information).
Firstly, we would like to point out this action was supported, vetted, and attended by multiple Jewish members of SNHDSA. NH Journal refusing to include this image in their coverage is not only predictable, but showcases a lack of journalistic integrity. We don’t expect much from this outlet, but that decision can only be described as indulging in the pro-Zionism discourse which saturates our local media. When your journalism is purely based on receiving clicks, you’re not going to produce a worthwhile story.
Many of the patrons of Dishon Bakery called us nazis, and in one instance, our Jewish comrade responded by reciting the Sh’ma (The Jewish prayer of commitment to your faith, and accepting Adonai as the one true god). Yes, while carrying those signs, passersby called our Jewish comrades nazis, a deep irony which goes on to serve how disingenuous the claims of antisemitism are. These details are important because it showcases voices within the Jewish community who explicitly reject equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. This matters because it challenges NH Journal implicitly framing any pro-Palestine stance as inherently antisemitic. Investigators of antisemitism, including Jewish intellectuals and civil liberties advocates, warn against using that charge to shut down debate and shield genocidal policies from scrutiny.
When Zionism, a sadistic colonial ideology, has gone out of its way to co-opt Jewish traditions and holidays, it is important to remind the public that Israel does not represent the Jewish community as a whole. Given the disingenuous media coverage around this event, it would be easy for a well-meaning person to think this was a badly timed protest, but let us set the record straight, this is about reclaiming Hanukkah from Zionism and centering Jewish community members that will not stand idly by while a genocidal government, and its allies, attempts to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
Why Language Matters
In a predictable fashion, the NH Journal article mentions “Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza” only in passing, without grounding the reader in what that war has actually meant for Palestinian lives. You could argue the average NH Journal reader does not have the cognitive ability to understand a nuanced perspective, and holds a sheepish preference for the comforting narratives produced by this rag, but we’re going to talk about it anyways.
Independent trackers and international health authorities report tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, a majority of them civilians, including many women and children, with numbers often exceeding 70,000 deaths since the renewed conflict began in October 2023. Life expectancy in parts of Gaza plunged, dozens of journalists have been killed by the IDF, Gaza’s infrastructure was devastated, and hospitals collapsed under bombardment and blockade conditions.
Many analysts, human rights organizations, and legal scholars describe these sustained attacks, mass civilian suffering, systematic deprivation, and repeated destruction of homes and essential services as a genocide, a term rooted in the 1948 Genocide Convention and invoked by the United Nations Human Rights Council and Amnesty International in official reports.
Whether one agrees with that legal label or not, the scale of death and devastation is not in dispute, and ignoring it is a journalistic failure. This is not a war, this is a genocide and we will not allow that fact to be omitted.
Searching for Relevancy: Former state Rep. Fred Doucette and GOP congressional candidate Brian Cole
NH Journal provided quotes from two men who are in desperate need of attention. To Fred and Brian, we hear you, we’re providing space for you, but your sad attempt at manufacturing consent can only go so far. In fact, your cookie cutter responses serve as a symbol for the political landscape as a whole. AIPAC and similar lobbying organizations exert outsized influence on U.S. foreign policy, pressuring elected officials of both parties to provide unwavering political, military, and financial support to the Israeli government. Supporting Israel, and equating pro-Palestine activism to antisemitism is not a unique or bold position to hold. This soft power tactic helps explain why politicians distance themselves from pro-Palestine organizers, or why states like New Hampshire have adopted anti-BDS laws that preclude state contracts with companies that boycott Israel.
The genocide in Palestine has helped us identify politicians that rather represent lobbyists, and a foreign government, than their constituents. All this to say, Fred Doucette and Brian Cole have more in common with Chris Pappas and the Democratic party than we ever will. Socialists have a deep familiarity with the inadequacies produced by the two liberal parties that control our country, and it’s a real shame very few political figures have the integrity to stand in solidarity with a people suffering through genocide. Supporting Israel is not the grassroots consensus. The oligarchy has shaped what is considered “acceptable” discourse, often at the expense of marginalized voices, and outlets like NH Journal are merely echoing predetermined talking points set by a failing and unpopular liberal establishment.
Why a Local Bakery? Why Not Protest the Government?
Harm is sustained not only by governments, but by the everyday social permission structure around them. We are organizing locally. Our leverage is local. When our community treats participation in genocide as socially neutral and beyond question, that silence becomes part of how the violence continues. We also agree with the core point behind this question. Institutional targets matter. Government targets matter. This action does not replace that work, and sits alongside it.
As we’ve said before, these are the demands of our boycott:
- The Langs publicly denounce the genocide against Palestinians; or
- Face a continued boycott by our community until you go out of business
This is About Palestine
We have had Palestinian community members go out of their way to vocally support this boycott. Providing space and support for them is one of our main priorities.
As we stated in the campaign announcement post on Instagram, instead of spending $15 on a loaf of bread baked by an IDF veteran, please donate to the following organizations:
In solidarity,
SNHDSA Palestine Working Group
Citations
[1] Clear timeline indicating Lang’s life in the US before choosing to move to Israel and join the IDF.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanlang
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanlang