The current Consumer Boycott of Western Brands is Different

Empowering Weak & Oppressed

Crescent International

Ramadan 02, 1445 2024-03-12

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

As the low intensity regional war and transformation take shape in West Asia, the fronts against apartheid Israel and its western enablers are acquiring a multidimensional character.

One of those multidimensional characteristics involves a grassroots economic boycott by consumers of western and Israeli businesses.

Economic boycott against Israel is not a new phenomenon.

It hits the apartheid entity where it feels and hurts the most.

It is one of the most significant weak spots of the zionist regime occupying Palestine.

While purely econometric reasons are certainly important, it is only one of the factors and not the factor.

A significant number of zionist colonizers in Palestine hold foreign citizenships.

Figures vary from 10% (according to the dualcitizenship report), to 17% (according to Times of Israel report of 2016) to 22% (according to Israeli blogger Daniel Barenboim).

There is speculation that the actual figures may be as high as 35% or even 50% of Israelis holding dual citizenship.

They will not stick around in a hostile environment which will become even more difficult as economic, political and military pressure continues to increase on Israel.

When a better option is easily available, away from war and economic ruin, not all, but many people will opt for the easier option: leave.

Both the current zionist mass murder campaign in Palestine and the regional resistance to Israel are unprecedented in nature and totally out of proportions.

This applies to the economic and boycott angle of resistance against Israel and its western enablers.

What makes this current limited impact a longer-term strategic challenge to Israel and brands facing the grassroots boycott is that this time, due to the scale of events in the region, more people have joined and it is clearly having some impact.

The phenomenon of limited impact creates a vicious perception cycle which then translates into concrete negative monetary impact.

As some brands can no longer conceal that the grassroot boycott is having an impact, more ordinary consumers are motivated by the fact that their objection to genocide in Palestine is working.

This results in more people joining the boycott since they feel empowered.

This phenomenon snowballs into a much bigger boycott movement.

Those familiar with the politics of the so-called Muslim Street in West Asia and the Arab world, know well that boycotting of brands closely associated with western imperialist regimes has been around for decades.

Yet in the past it was almost never the case that the targeted corporations themselves would admit that they are being impacted.

Another factor which is contributing to more impact on the boycott front is the sophistication of the current campaign in terms of technological use and quality of production.

For example, Libyan youth produced a video urging boycott of Pepsi has gone viral mainly due to its production quality.

The above factors combined with a significant weakening of western economies backing the zionist genocide in Palestine is on its way to have a lasting effect.

Such impact will continue to gain traction even after the guns fall silent in Palestine.

Nevertheless, boycott without a broader plan and effort to build alternatives to brands being boycotted is a limited blow to Israel and its enablers.

While there are also some grassroots attempts to fill in this gap, like Palestine Cola being produced in Sweden by two Palestinian brothers, the approach needs to be state driven.