Understanding Boycott as a pressure instrument

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Since the start of the Hamas-Israel war on Oct.7, calls to an economic boycott companies suspected of supporting Israel have spread across social media. Such calls have sometimes been heeded and followed with concrete action, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Burger King and the list goes on. In contrast, economists and consumer associations posit that the boycott movement may potentially benefit local products as individuals seek alternatives to Israel-linked brands. However, they also express the view that the boycott's impact will likely be confined to franchises rather than affecting the affected brands' global headquarters.

A call to begin boycotting McDonald’s and other businesses in mid-October started after McDonald’s Israel announced on social media that it had handed out thousands of free meals to the Israeli military amid its war with Hamas.

While McDonald’s is synonymous with the United States, most of its restaurants worldwide are locally owned, and franchisees in numerous Muslim countries have expressed support for Palestinians and pledged money to support relief efforts in Gaza.

Syria, Lebanon, and Iran (though not an Arab state) are the only states which actively enforce the primary boycott. In 2005 over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations launched the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The goal of BDS is to subject Israel to boycott, divestment and sanctions until it withdraws from the occupied territories, removes the separation barrier in the West Bank, ensures full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and grants the right of return of Palestinian refugees.[40] BDS is modeled after the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa Its proponents compare the plight of the Palestinians with that of the black South Africans.

A large number of activist groups around the world have heeded BDS' call and are advocating for boycotts of Israel

The Arab League's Central Boycott Office has become obsolete. With the vast majority of Arab states benefiting from trade with Israel, any "boycott" has become symbolic in nature, limited to bureaucratic slights such as diplomatic ostracism and passport restrictions.

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There are still residual laws banning relations with Israel. For example, Lebanon and Sudan have since 1958 had a law that forbids establishing relations with Israel, and outlaws business with citizens of Israel as well as business relationships with Israeli companies or companies with Israeli interests. The law also forbids the direct or indirect import of any Israeli goods. Sixteen Arab and OIC countries do not accept Israeli passports. These are Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Eight of these also do not accept passports of other countries whose holder has an Israeli visa endorsed in it.

The bans may also apply to state-owned enterprises, such as airlines. Twenty-two countries ban direct flights and overflights to and from Israel. These are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen. There was an exception in May 2020 when a flight brought Covid medical supplies for the Palestinians.