Conscience awakened: Expanding global boycott movement against Israel

The live broadcast of Israel’s genocidal crimes in Gaza has had a global impact, driving calls for boycotts of the Israeli regime to unprecedented levels.

According to Al Jazeera, quiet boycotts that began nearly two decades ago in supermarkets have evolved into large-scale movements and digital platforms helping millions make ethical purchasing choices.

Student protests and encampments across the U.S. and Canada have led some major educational institutions to sever ties with their Israeli counterparts. Meanwhile, investments in Israel have declined, and several of the world’s largest economies have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.

Mohammad Mustafa, a Palestinian-Australian doctor whose parents left their hometown of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza decades ago seeking a better life, has volunteered in Gaza’s hospitals over the past two years. He has shared his visits, conference participation, and advocacy for Palestinians widely on social media.

Dr. Mustafa says that witnessing a genocide live has changed many people:

“For years, Palestinians felt like we were screaming into a void. Now, seeing people across continents marching, creating art, and demanding justice gives you hope that the world’s conscience is finally awakening.”

He added: “When I was younger, I never imagined this level of global solidarity. Seeing this wave now is deeply moving — it feels like the truth is finally finding its voice.”

50,000 pro-Palestine protests in two years

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have surged sharply in recent months. Between May and September, such protests rose by 43% compared to the previous five months.

According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), at least 49,000 pro-Palestine demonstrations have taken place in 133 countries and territories over the past two years.

The highest numbers were recorded in Yemen (15,266), followed by Morocco (5,482), the U.S. (5,346), Turkey (2,349), Iran (1,919), Pakistan (1,539), France (1,397), Italy (1,390), Spain (1,102), and Australia (967).

Expanding boycotts against Israel

Omar Barghouti, founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, said that Israel has become increasingly isolated.

He explained that BDS was launched in 2005 to support Palestinian rights and end Israeli occupation and apartheid by targeting complicity, not individuals.

Barghouti — a member of a prominent Palestinian family that includes Marwan Barghouti, currently serving multiple life sentences in Israeli prisons — emphasized:

“The BDS movement has played a crucial role in intensifying the isolation of Israel’s settler-colonial, apartheid, and now genocidal regime.”

Even Avi Balashnikov, head of the Israel Export Institute, has acknowledged growing difficulties in global trade. Speaking at the Mind the Tech 2024 conference, he admitted that economic sanctions and BDS activities pose major challenges, forcing Israeli companies to operate covertly in some countries.

Barghouti added that BDS’s impact stems from the “grief, anger, and solidarity expressed by tens of millions worldwide,” fueling effective, strategic, and non-violent boycott and divestment campaigns.

BDS identifies companies complicit in Israel’s occupation, human rights violations, and apartheid policies, organizing its campaigns into three main categories:

• Priority Boycott Targets – firms with proven complicity in Israeli apartheid and occupation, subject to full boycotts.
• Pressure Targets – companies actively lobbied or protested through consumer boycotts, social media campaigns, and legal actions.
• Organic Boycotts – grassroots campaigns initiated by local communities that BDS supports when companies are linked to Israeli abuses.

How ordinary people are boycotting Israel

People across various countries report choosing local alternatives over products made in Israeli-occupied territories.

Palestinian culture and recent events have also increasingly influenced global communities.

Boycat, one of several mobile apps developed in recent years, helps consumers identify boycott targets in cooperation with BDS, ensuring its product lists remain up to date.

However, in countries like Canada, certain restrictions on boycotting Israeli products remain in place.

Despite economic challenges, some multinational consumer goods have reappeared due to budget constraints.

The impact of sanctions

Boycotts have not only affected the profitability of companies complicit in Israel’s occupation but have also triggered divestments from occupied territories and heightened international economic and political pressure.

In November 2024, French retailer Carrefour shut down all its stores in Jordan, following longstanding BDS campaigns highlighting its ties with Israeli firms operating in illegal West Bank settlements. The company also exited Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain — seen as major victories for the boycott movement, demonstrating consumer-led power against multinationals.

Two major American chains — McDonald’s and Starbucks — have felt the sting of boycotts, facing sales declines and reputational backlash, especially in West Asia and Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski admitted in January 2024 that the company had been “significantly affected” in several markets.

Starbucks reported three consecutive quarters of declining global sales, with a 2% drop in annual revenue for 2024. In September, it announced plans to close dozens of U.S. branches and lay off around 900 employees as part of a $1 billion restructuring effort to reverse its downturn.

Diplomatic and institutional measures

The Spanish government recently canceled a €700 million ($815 million) arms deal with Israel. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had earlier announced a ban on military trade with Israel, effective from October 9.

In 2024, Norway’s pension fund and France’s AXA divested from Israeli assets linked to settlement activities. Pension funds in Ireland, Denmark, and the Netherlands also withdrew investments from companies such as Caterpillar, Expedia, and TripAdvisor over human rights and settlement concerns.

In June, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK officially sanctioned Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for “inciting violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

That same month, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain called for the suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement, while Sweden urged the Council of Europe to impose sanctions on Israeli officials promoting illegal settlement expansion.

UN monitoring

Since 2020, the UN Human Rights Office has maintained a database of companies profiting from Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

In its September 2025 update, it listed 158 companies operating in settlements deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

While nearly 90% of these firms are Israeli, the list also includes multinationals registered in Canada, China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK, and the U.S.

Among them are major global corporations such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Motorola, Re/Max, and TripAdvisor.