Middle East: Boycott as a Political Weapon
Many people across the Middle East have decided to boycott Israeli and American products in response to the Israeli war on Gaza.
The Angry Arab News Service wrote:
Across five Arab states a new and closely co-ordinated campaign to boycott American goods is being launched, with Starbucks coffee shops their primary target, but with Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson and Burger King outlets also on the list.
Among all the American brands, Starbucks was the main target of the boycotting campaigns. Zeinobia, from Egypt, wrote about this saying:
Starbucks, the famous Starbucks branch was closed in Beirut for a day because of the protests. There are calls and actual respond to it across the Arab world to boycott the American products especially 84268245 those products associated with Israel in a way or another.
She then continued:
Of course the Arabic public is convinced that Starbucks in America gives annual donation to the IDF due to the fact that founder and the owner of Starbucks is a Jew, to be honest this is not enough to draw a conclusion that the chain donates to the IDF but news like that one makes the Arab public thinks twice.
Starbucks-IDF rumors are bit old rumours even before it opens its branches in Egypt ,it was fought in the Arab world.
I remember one day I received any email about the logo of Starbucks and its history , saying that it is the Hebrew Princess that saved the Jews in Babylonian ancient time where in reality it is another whole thing.
The boycotting campaigns were not limited to the Arab world only, and American-Palestinian group blog KABOBfest reported here how people in Malaysia are also participating in the campaigns:
Over 2,000 Muslim-owned restaurants in Malaysia have taken Coca-Cola off the menu in an effort to support global boycotts against Israel. Local organizations are encouraging employees of Coca-Cola, as well as Starbucks and other companies, to quit their jobs.
From Jordan, Khobbeizeh also wrote about boycotting Starbucks:
Howard Schultz is an active Zionist, extremely sectarian for the Israeli army. He is supporting them with hundred of millions yearly from Starbucks’ income, and he's one of the major sponsors of their weaponry.
For sure, the Israeli products were boycotted by many people as well, and here is what Body on the Line wrote in her blog:
Farmers say much of their produce is being held in warehouses due to canceled orders, and fear a sharp decrease in fruit exports to countries such as Jordan, Britain, and the Scandinavian countries.
…
Ilan Eshel, director of the Organization of Fruit Growers in Israel, said Scandinavian countries have also been canceling orders.
The American blogger, who lives in Palestine, then wrote about how academics in the United Kingdom are reacting to the Israeli attack on Gaza:
British academics have written an open letter, published in the Guardian, calling for boycott, divestment, and sanctions:
“We must do what we can to stop Israel from winning its war. Israel must accept that its security depends on justice and peaceful coexistence with its neighbors, and not upon the criminal use of force.”
“We believe Israel should immediately and unconditionally end its assault on Gaza, end the occupation of the West Bank, and abandon all claims to possess or control territory beyond its 1967 borders. We call on the British government and the British people to take all feasible steps to oblige Israel to comply with these demands, starting with a programme of boycott, divestment and sanctions.”
In London students also took action in solidarity with Gaza at the prestigious London school of economics:More than 40 students were continuing their sit-in at the London School of Economics today in protest at the conflict in Gaza.
There are also organizations and sites that are dedicated to spreading word about the campaigns like this, this, and this one.
But on the other hand some others, like Crossroads Arabia were not that much into the boycotting:
Saudi Gazette reports that a boycott of American products in support of the people of Gaza is beginning to take hold in Saudi Arabia. As with earlier, similar boycotts, this one is likely to a) assuage Saudi feelings of impotence and b) hurt the Saudi franchisees and their employees, without actually doing much damage to the US economy, contrary to what a professor from King Abdulaziz University states.
It’s clear that the idea of a boycott has strong popular support, though.
Also Jewlicious wrote a post in reply to Khobbeizeh:
Now, I’m no big fan of Starbucks, or of Coffee for that matter, but the notion that Starbucks supports the IDF to the tune of “hundred of millions yearly” is patently ludicrous. Khobbeizeh my friend, your ample Photoshop skills aside, you are an idiot.
24 comments
Stan R –
So many people claim they care about the Palestinians, but only show it when Israel is the alleged perpetrator.
It seems so hypocritical.
dear robby,
you said it. the arabs dont give a damn, and in any case why shouldnt the palestinians be allowed to have a home of their own?
let alone inside what is today israel, it(israel) is not content with the 78% of palestine it has, but wants more of the west bank as well.
why doesnt israel go back to the 677 borders in return for complete peace?… because of greed for land.
another thing as the gaza killings showed… israel still hasnt got over the “searing defeat” on the pali mind policy created by the ultimate savage.. sharon.
state israels readiness to go back to the 67 borders and sit back…. peace will come much quicker than expected
Ravi – Yes, the 67 borders are a good basis for peace, we can hope that is the outcome. I don’t think HAMAS agrees, do they?
Palestine included Jordan as well, so I don’t know if your 78 per cent is correct (no Jews were allowed in Jordan).
Do you remember Black September? More Palestinians were killed in less then two weeks by the Jordanian military then the entire 60 year conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. How about Kuwait, 1990? Or Lebanon last year? Just google them and you will see, from Arab sources, how many Palestinians were killed, or cleansed (term used by Kuwaiti Emir) by Arab countries.
dear robby,
hamas doesnt agree to the 67 borders… hang on … but didnt they say they were open to an open ended hudna if israel withdrew to the 67 borders?
more than hamas its israel which is not willing to go back to the 67 borders… has even one israeli leader said so?…. then why reject the arab peace plan?… which offers just that.
the arabs have been beastly towards the palestinians…. so does that entitle israel to kill palestinian kids as well?
your reasoning and justification of israels savagery is sick.
Ravi –
Hold on, you are putting words in my mouth. I did not say anyone was entitled to treat anyone poorly. No one should be killing anyone, it is wrong.
My point is the same as yours, for 60 years the Arab world has treated the Palestinians badly. Is it fair to tell the Palestinians they will get to ‘return’ to a place they have never been, knowing very well it probably won’t happen? Have you seen the poverty of these refugee camps? If you are going to boycott Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians why not boycott those Arab countries that do the same?
I support Israel’s right to exist, and I support a Palestinian state. I also think the Saudi peace plan, which is very close to what Arafat turned down, makes sense. Let’s hope that is the direction taken after the elections.
From the beginning HAMAS was offered a non-violent starting point – Recognize Israel, denounce violence and honor past agreements. From what I have read HAMAS has not agreed to negotiate on any of these issues. I did read that HAMAS offered something like a 10 year treaty – but I wonder, why not make it permanent?
Can anybody provide the websites that has statistics on the killingsn of Plalestinian by the Arabs and the reasonn for such activity. During the peace process an analysis of this will help to pressurize the Arabs to be first united preferably under Saudi Arabia leadership for only the solutions to Israel-Palestinian conflict- though as a whole the Iraq and Iran issue could also be included.
If any bloggers here are journalists I would suggest tyhat they write articles in Arab Newspapers to encourage their Unity firt and then negotiate strongly for a peaceful settlement of Israel-Palestine conflict.
Its sad to realize the reality that once Palestine Landed hadm multicultural peopulation- 86 % Muslims, 30 % christians and 10% Jews. The Zionists wanted to relocate to other lands and first Africs and America was under consideration but later due to i9nfluence of the Zionists they enered Palestine and gradually increased in mumber and with British aid–US then was notn involved- but later the Zionists and British influenced the US to support Israel citing their Nazi Holocast- So History is proof that Nazi Germans and Christians are their enemies not the Muslims. Strange now they wantn to drive our the orginal occupants,Palestinians and claim the whole land to be theirs. Now if all the Jews claim their right in Israel duen to religious reasons then this small place will become the fightimng p-lace between themselves.
Therefore first requirement if Unity of Arabs and wisdom to negotiate with the West a Peaceful settlements where Isarelis presently living their will establish their homes but wioth the consent of the Paletinian ,Arabs etc and do economic activities not WAR.
America and EU must stop supply of Arms and Israel should be warned not to further their nuclear facility.
US is serious under President 0bama and so is the right time to be wise in dealings.
hamas has to recognise israel, renounce violence, or is that armed resistance…. and honour past agreements, which were never followed by the israelis in the first place.
why is only hamas required to meet preconditions? what about israel stating its readiness to give up the settlement enterprise as a precondition?.. any answer? if israel cannot submit to any preconditions then perhaps starting unconditional talks may make it easier for hamas to accept israel. hamas has to recognize israel but israel will not recognize hamas , even it was the LEGALLY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE?
read the fine print in the deal arafat was offered… it stinks.
doesnt israel have any moral reasponsiblity for the plight of the pal refugees?… the very people the stern and irgun terrorists ethnically cleansed from their homes of 2000 years?
the american stooge arab govts like egypt, saudi, jordan are moral degenerates …. how very much they resemble israel..!
Ravi –
Israel has to recognize HAMAS, and both sides can set preconditions, of course. Please tell me if you have read of any preconditions from HAMAS, as I’ve not read of any other then the destruction of Israel. Negotiations have been going on for the last month, thru Egypt, and neither side has budged. You may be right about unconditional negotiations, but I doubt either side will agree.
HAMAS was elected, but what has that got to do with Israel, the US, the EU, or anyone else? Once again, don’t forget it was HAMAS that turned down normalization because they refused to recognize Israel. BTW – Iran’s regime was elected, as was Hitler and Mussolini.
So are you saying you do not accept the Saudi peace plan? Because the deal offered to Arafat is strikingly close.
What do you think Israel should do for the refugees? A recent study (I can’t find the link) showed less then 10 percent would want to settle in Israel, which is understandable. About half wanted to settle in the country they were in, but most of them were in Jordan, again, no surprise. BTW – the plan Arafat turned down offered $35 billion to help with the refugees. In case you didn’t know, the US is the biggest contributor to the UNRWA.
dear robby,
our argument can carry on till the stars fall out of the sky. my view, as a distant observer of the mid east mess is not one of taking sides.. it objective.im not a jew, or muslim, arab or american, have had almost nothing to do with the people and the region, the mid east question has no bearing on my country… then why do i have the views i have? im a normal human being… and like other ordinary people im sickened by what israel has become today, very much like the arabs… or worse.
there was a time when i was a 100% supporter of israel….. no longer. ariel sharon put paid to that support. today im 100% anti what israel has become today.
israels survival depends on “acceptance” by the pals and arabs at large…. israel has done everything to enlarge the swamp of hatred its creation itself created. how on earth is it going to drain this swamp? by military force and killing kids? israel needs to drop its arrogance and understand the realities on the ground, adjust and cut the best possible deal for survival… forget about “searing defeat” on the pali mind… wont work