Boycotting Israeli products/services

[the7Vabo]

I’m trying my best to support the boycott. For those doing the same - what products/services are you using instead?

The hardest one for me has been giving up on going to Disney Paris next year. I had planned it as a joint birthday present, kids will be the perfect age. But I can’t stand in Disney with my kids knowing they support a regime killing kids.

Any good alternatives to Disney, or any other brand on the list?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67600015

When even the bbc are reporting it…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgygdr7vezo

Article from Time Magazine, March 2016:

“According to B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group that receives monthly data from the Israeli Prison Service, Abu Sakha is one of 568 Palestinians currently being held under administrative detention. Over the last decade, Israel has imprisoned nearly 4,000 people under administrative detention. Just 35 of them have been Jewish. Among them are Jewish extremists accused of throwing a fire bomb into a Palestinian home in the West Bank in July 2015, killing three members of the Dawabsheh family, including an 18-month-old baby.”

https://time.com/4252272/israel-palestinians-administrative-detention/

Let's not forget the children being held by Israel as well. :( so disgusting and sad.

It's not like that at all. Although I am so not surprised at people boycotting stuff they have no idea about.
You are vastly underestimating the Israeli innovations and research in mobile phones.

Even if we forget about mobile chips, anti-virus software/ firewalls, 4G, SD cards, voicemail, Microsoft operating systems, texting, emails, search engines, electric cars etc as these only originated in Israel but aren't necessarily made there.

The ceramic resistors probably are. They are in basically almost every electronic appliance in your home.

As are Intel Pentium and Celeron computer processor chips who in Jan announced it was investing $11billion into Israel (already employ over 13,000)

And Samsung and their $155 m Tel Aviv deal.

And Microsoft (1 of their 3 strategic global research/development centres is in Israel)

And heart stents. Insulin injectors. And vaccines. And Pampers. And diagnostic pill cameras. And so much more.

So slow clap to all those boycotting not medicines, not technology or stuff that would make your lives harder or more dangerous... but fruit and veg.
Esp. Cherry tomatoes. Those evil little balls were developed in Israel.

And who suffers? Big conglomerates?
Or ordinary fruit pickers?

So who are you punishing? Are you hurting the Government or ordinary Israeli citizens???
Reminds me of the Soda Stream/ Ben and Jerry's boycott. Boycotting 2 companies with plants in the 'West Bank' where mostly Palestinians were employed.
It's almost like most of the people virtue signalling this war have no real fucking idea...

Researching where your money goes when you buy something is sensible in a world where many companies and governments engage in unethical practices. People can choose whether they want to spend their money in a way that is consistent with their own values, where they have the option to do so.

If someone else has different values from mine, they are welcome to make their own choices about their own money. I will continue to make my choices based on my own values. Where it is possible, I choose not to contribute to the profit margins of companies which engage in human rights violations and other unethical practices. Where it is possible, I choose not to contribute to the tax revenues of countries which engage in human rights abuses. That includes several countries, including, sadly, Israel.

I'm sure someone will come along to say that the Israeli government will be fine without the tiny amount my personal spending would represent. But that's not really the point. Firstly, small amounts add up when lots of them come together, and it is known that boycotts do contribute to influencing change. Secondly, it means that my hands are a little less stained with the blood of innocent people, which matters to me. My brothers and sisters in faith and in humanity as a whole are being murdered - I don't want to willingly contribute to that.

Very well said.

There was a report last week in Israeli newspaper Maariv that due to knock on effects from the conflict 40'000 businesses have closed in Israel.
Samsung has also closed its Tel Aviv office.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240711-40000-israeli-companies-have-closed-since-october/
https://globalventuring.com/corporate/news/samsung-next-shuts-down-its-israel-office/

JERUSALEM, July 17 (Reuters) - An elite Israeli military intelligence unit may once again be about to prove its value to the nation's tech economy as Google's parent eyes cybertech company Wiz for an eyewatering $23 billion.

If you really want to boycott Israel, add Google, Wiz & all their subsidiaries.

Check which software your employer is using & see if they will BDS - doubt they'll entertain you.

Health tech is a big area too, so you'll inevitably have to boycott certain parts of the NHS.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/google-acquisition-target-wiz-another-fruit-israels-military-intelligence-2024-07-17/

LSE (London School of Economics) rejects anti-Israel investment

'The School will not adopt an investment policy of identifying and divesting from
companies that, as the PalSoc report puts it, “are involved in crimes against the Palestinian
people,” which the report makes clear means companies that do business in or with the state
of Israel. As clearly indicated in both the PalSoc report and our discussions with the report’s
authors, the expressed purpose and inescapable effect of such a policy is to have the School
take an institutional position on one side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—an ongoing
geopolitical dispute with many complex dimensions as to which members of our community
hold a wide range of views and positions.

7.1.1. Rejecting this demand is consistent with our current ESG policy, LSE’s Code of
Practice on Free Speech, and the principle described in paragraph 6.1. Council
recognizes that some in our community would make an exception to the principle here,
but our considered judgment is that the School should adhere to existing policy given the
consequences of a contrary decision for LSE’s primary mission and the impossibility of
distinguishing this conflict from so many others of concern to different groups within the
LSE community.'

The LSE not "distinguishing this conflict from so many others of concern to different groups within the
LSE community".

Exactly. And yet so many ignore China, Russia etc and just target Israel.
We all know the reason why.

And yet so many ignore China, Russia etc and just target Israel.
That's simply not true. Plenty of people boycott Chinese goods and there are state sponsored sanctions on Russian goods. US sanctions, EU sanctions, UK sanctions and so on.

We all know the reason why
I think Israel are getting off pretty lightly when you consider their mounting war crimes. Guess it all depends on which lens you view things

Regarding the Middle East Monitor article: the picture of people with a boycott sign in an article about Israeli businesses collapsing is a bit disingenuous. The overwhelming reason for small businesses failing in Israel during the last months is either the effects of direct destruction and the evacuation of residents (businesses in the 'Gaza Envelope' communities; or in towns near the northern borders which have been completely evacuated for over 9 months), or knock on effects of the war, including workers being summoned to many rounds of reserve duty, and the almost complete collapse of the tourist industry.

Granted I'm not an economic expert. But I do listen to the Israeli news and read op eds and talk to people, and nobody has mentioned any effect of BDS consumer boycotts on the Israeli economy or on businesses closing, whereas all the factors I mentioned above are discussed all the time. Probably because the consumer boycotts affect very tiny sectors of the Israeli economy which aren't very significant in the general profile of Israeli exports.

Thank you, it's definitely due to a number of factors and that's why I mentioned the conflict.

It's like the port of Eilat declaring bankruptcy due to the combined attacks from the Houthis and the Iraqis.
https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ports/attacks-red-sea-shipping-bankrupt-israeli-port
The boycotts may not be the primary reason but they'll play a small part in contributing to the pressure on Netanyahu's government and along with the increasing inflation, reduced foreign investment, etc may add pressure to push towards a ceasefire agreement.

This isn’t a reason to boycott the NHS, it’s (another) reason to campaign for companies with very shady business practices not to be allowed to get hold of our health data, via the government forcing the nhs to do this.

https://goodlawproject.org/update/nhs-signed-palantir-contract-then-carried-on-negotiating/

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/uk-palantir-very-troubling-choice-nhs-contract-given-links-serious-human-rights

This is a very logical and fair position for the LSE to take.
If an individual wants to boycott a company that doesn’t reflect their values then obviously that is fine.

@Finallyloggedin

The point is, you need Israeli science, technology & innovation. You benefit from it everyday. It's just not possible for anyone to do without it.

Individuals can boycott but there are many limits, life saving medical treatments being one & your employers software being another.

It's absurd to insist otherwise.

I don’t think anyone is insisting that. But, as others have said, where we can make ethical choices, we will.

As citizens, regardless of this particular issue, we should have rights for our health data not to be sold to shady companies, that’s basic.

Innovation comes from all over the world. Fantastic if Israel is part of the innovation, or even leading it. I just wish the Israeli government were as forward thinking when it comes to Palestinians’ human rights.

Also interesting to note how the US donates so much to Israel in armaments and other funding, whilst Americans are struggling to survive and homelessness has sky rocketed, there is very little welfare state and people are working several jobs just to make ends meet. Israel, in contrast, has free universal healthcare and from what I have just seen from a quick search, some heavily funded university courses. This provision will undoubtedly help with fostering a culture of innovation.

I think this issue becomes problematic when there are attempts to move the boycott from an individual protest to an attempt to persuade/bully institutions, organisations or even countries to participate in the boycott.

I think this applies to many companies tho. It’s not only anti Israel but I’ve seen loads of anti Palestinian painted as “antisemitism” and bullying institutions in order to change procedures. I only saw today a boycott against adidas for using a Palestinian artist.

A bit more context please from Adidas whose CEO said Kanye "let's go death con 3 on Jewish people' wasn't anti-semitic.

There has been rightful criticism.

Adidas have made anti-semitic anti-Israeli Palestinian Bella Hadid the new face of the SL 72 shoe – first introduced for the 1972 Olympic Games, where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed by Palestinian terrorists.

Why do you support this choice EasterIsIsland? Do you not think it inappropriate at all?

Can you seriously not see the difference?

No. People will have their values and will choose to spend their money on what they want and sometimes they’ll boycott companies that don’t align with their values. Last week I believe there was a boycott over delta for some flight attendants wearing a Palestinian badge. So apologies but I don’t see the difference in some people wanting to boycott Israel products over those that are boycotting other companies if they show support for Palestinians.

What has Bella Hadid said to lead you to believe that she is anti semetic? Being anti Israeli (as in the government and the apartheid state) doesn’t make someone anti semetic.