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

  • Akhanton

    http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.php

    How many times we cried while watching the news, how much anger we kept inside our chests because of this world of tyrants, we could not answer our children when they asked us about the meaning of justice, honor, truth and freedom. Tears and prayers is all what we offered. The tyrants watched the massacres with a hidden smile, and big time silence. Blood shed, children & women screaming & hands stained with bloods . On the other bank a slaughter house that offers free blood stain removal , out side it all the tyrants were fighting, every one wanted to be served first . The prime minister of the slaughter house went to see them, asked them to stop fighting so he can show them how to remove the blood stain from of their hands; they listened to prime Minster, their only friend. Who said “’ 60 years ago when my grand fathers established our slaughtering house, they knew that every citizen in our slaughtering house would have a bloody hands, so they invented a secret formula , they mixed it with the only thing that we worship , I’m sorry dear friends , this is high season for my business, I’m out of stock , across the street my brother’s exchange, there you can get as much money as you need ,once you dry your hands with our banknote the blood would disappear , one last thing please keep our city tidy and take the bloody banknote with you , or donate it to your poor brothers , so they can build their bloody city again ‘’
    The tyrants followed his instructions, their hands became clean again, they thanked him, and left the slaughter house with all the bloody money, they stopped by their poor brothers and gave them their bloody donations

    What a shame! What a bloody truth!

    Neither you nor I want to have hands stained with blood; we are one of the few people who can define honor, freedom and dignity.
    We can make a change
    Because we don’t belong to the tyrants nor to the slaughter house
    We promise, we will not send any donation to Israel
    We will boycott all the Israeli products
    Allah will be watching us, his angels will be smiling .
    The Palestinian children & widows will dry their tears.
    No more F 16, no tanks, no bloodshed,
    We will laugh at
    Slaughterhouse bankruptcy

    http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.php

    Please feel free to forward this info to any one who knows the meaning of Honor & Justice

  • Rachel Page

    Gaza, I guess, brings new meaning to the term “captive market” for Israeli goods. Lawyer San Antonio

  • Karen Patrick

    Calls for a boycott – broadcast at rallies and spread via Facebook and other social media – have an immediate and striking impact.

    Karen

  • Eric Wright

    Boycott has been used as an effective political weapon in different countries ever since it came into use as a recognized method of struggle against the Irish Land Act of 1880. In these boycotts our experience is that each time they have raised the political consciousness of the people, brought about a greater solidarity and unity among the masses. In this way they have raised the peoples` organizations to a higher level, demonstrating the correctness of the action. Eric

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