The war on Gaza has led to renewed calls to boycott Israeli products. For years, Palestinians have urged international sanctions to be imposed, to pressure Israel to end its occupation. But for those in the West Bank, Israel's stranglehold on the economy is a major obstacle for the boycott movement.

Jerusalem

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Israel-Gaza War

In response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Palestinians in the West Bank are increasingly calling for a boycott of Israeli products. This movement aims to pressure Israel to end its occupation through non-violent means, similar to the boycotts that contributed to the end of apartheid in South Africa. Salma Anabdawi, a prominent figure in the Palestinian boycott campaign, highlights the difficulty of such a boycott due to Israel's control over the Palestinian economy. Despite the challenges, including reliance on Israel for utilities and restrictions on imports and exports, the campaign has seen some success.

Local initiatives are being launched to support the Palestinian economy by promoting national products and small-scale projects. A notable example is a four-year-old soda factory in the north of the West Bank, which has seen a recent increase in sales and plans to expand its market to Jordan. However, the Israeli authorities reportedly impose high taxes and delay the import and export process, making it difficult for Palestinian businesses to thrive independently.

The report also mentions a past venture, the first Palestinian mushroom company, which faced significant challenges from Israeli market domination. Only after consumer demand shifted in favor of Palestinian mushrooms did it begin to take a market share, but faced obstructions that eventually led to its closure.

Boycotting Israeli products is seen not only as a form of resistance but also as a means to support Palestinian families and small businesses. Projects making handmade soap, crafts, and food are examples of initiatives receiving support from those choosing to boycott Israeli products, illustrating a grassroots effort to bolster the Palestinian economy amidst difficult conditions.



Palestinians in West Bank boycott Israeli products

Living on occupied land, Salma Anabdawi doesn't want to buy the occupiers' products. Known as the youngest member of the Palestinian boycott campaign, she says it's a way of resisting the occupation. I'm aware that Israel controls our lives and our economy. Our electricity, water and fuel are from them. So we can't fully boycott. But even if I inflict 35% losses on them, it's the least I could do. As Israel controls their economy, Palestinians are left with little to no free choice. Since the war on Gaza, activists worldwide renewed calls for boycotts and sanctions against Israel, arguing that this non-violent approach played a major role in ending apartheid in South Africa. This Libyan advert equates buying from companies that support Israel with funding the genocide against Palestinians. That has cost brands such as KFC and Starbucks. At home, recent boycott campaigns encouraged Palestinians to support their national products, such as this four-year-old soda factory in the north of the occupied West Bank. Competing with international brands was difficult, its owners say. But sales were boosted recently. Soon, their soda will make its way to shops in Jordan, where boycott calls are strong. The Israeli authorities complicate our process. They impose high taxes and delay the imports and exports. They don't want Palestinians to be independent or to have an industrial economy. They only want us to be workers and depend on the Israeli market. Palestinians do not control their borders and have to suffer Israeli restrictions on Palestinian imports, exports and foreign currency. More than a decade ago, a group of young men opened the first Palestinian mushroom company to challenge Israeli domination of the market. A few years later, they were forced to shut down. It wasn't until the consumers started demanding Palestinian mushrooms more than Israeli mushrooms that we started taking a percentage of the market, that we started getting the obstructions, including on holding up our imports. It did not work at first, but with the holding of imports of raw materials in the port, which, as you know, it's the only way we can get things in, when we could not really hold on anymore. But Israeli authorities have little control over homemade products like these. This is a local initiative to support small-scale projects making handmade soap, crafts and food. For many, boycotting Israeli products also gives people the opportunity to support small projects. Any money that does not go to Israel, they say, will instead help support a Palestinian family survive the difficult economic conditions. Nida Ibrahim, Al Jazeera, The Occupied West Bank.

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Israel-Gaza War