Boycotts of Israel

[9][unreliable source] The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) urges its members to join in the Arab League boycott of Israel.

The call was renewed on 22 May 2018, when the OIC recommended to its 57 members a selective ban on some Israeli goods because of the events in Gaza and the opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem.

[9][unreliable source] Today, most Arab states, Syria being the exception, no longer attempt to enforce the secondary or tertiary boycotts.

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.

[13] This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.Member states of the United Nations were formed into Regional Groups in 1961 to act as voting blocs and negotiation forums.

In 2000, to by-pass the ban, Israel was admitted as a temporary member of Western European and Others Group, subject to annual renewal, but only in WEOG's headquarters in the US, which enabled it to put forward candidates for election to various UN General Assembly bodies.

These are Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

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.

[32][33] The participation of Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics prompted calls from left-wing French lawmakers,[34] Palestinian,[35] and other global sports organizations for sanctions against Israel and to prevent its participation due to the impact of the Israel–Hamas war on Palestinian athletes and sports facilities,[36][37] but IOC President Thomas Bach confirmed this was never an issue for the IOC and cautioned athletes against boycotts and discrimination.

[42] On 23 March 2018, the United Nations Human Rights Council called on the international community to halt arms sales to Israel.

The local government of Belgium's Wallonia region has announced that it has suspended its license to export ammunition to Israel following an international court ruling.

Japanese company Itochu Corporation has announced that it plans to end its cooperation with Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.

Following Operation Cast Lead in 2010, a group of 15 American university professors launched a campaign calling for an academic and cultural boycott of Israel.

[60] In 2009, Spanish organizers of an international solar power design competition excluded a team from the Israeli Ariel University Center.

The stated reason was that the Ariel university is located in the West Bank, a Spanish official was quoted saying, "Spain acted in line with European Union policy of opposing Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.

[63] However, two days later, Ihron Rensburg, vice chancellor and principal of the university issued a statement saying that "UJ is not part of an academic boycott of Israel...

The signatories of the statement said, "as a community of scholars who study problems of power, oppression, and cultural hegemony, we have a moral responsibility to speak out and demand accountability from Israel and our own governments.

[75] In May 2021, more than 600 musicians, including Patti Smith, Noname, DJ Snake, Roger Waters, Serj Tankian, members of Cypress Hill, Rage Against the Machine, Julian Casablancas, The Roots' Black Thought and Questlove, Godspeed You!

[79] FTT also urged the Icelandic National Broadcaster (RÚV) to withdraw from the competition unless Israel is denied participation on the same grounds as Russia was due to its invasion of Ukraine.

"[85] In November 2012, a group of 51 people, including Nobel peace laureates, prominent artists and activists published a letter calling for a military embargo on Israel.

[86] The Anti-Defamation League, whose mission is to stop the defamation of Jews, has claimed that singling out Israel is "outrageous and biased" as well as "deplorable and offensive",[87] and heads of several major U.S. Jewish organizations have referred to them as "lop-sided" and "unbalanced".

[99] The CTO stated that the company was "reluctant to adopt the essentially political position of disengagement from cultural ties with Israel or with Palestine,[99] and that they had been in negotiations for four years and would respect the contract.

[103] In January 2014, Scarlett Johansson started to promote SodaStream, an Israeli company operating in Ma'ale Adumim, a West Bank settlement, which sparked criticism from Oxfam.

[106][107][108] Other artists who have voiced opposition to the campaign include writers Umberto Eco[109] and film makers Joel and Ethan Coen.

"[109] Many musicians such as Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Radiohead, Metallica, Editors, Placebo, LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, Justin Bieber, Ziggy Marley,[111] Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mark Ronson, Depeche Mode, Gilberto Gil, Daniela Mercury, Rolling Stones,[112][113] Alicia Keys,[109][114] Tom Jones,[115] Riverdance,[116] PiL,[117] Eric Burdon,[118] and Bon Jovi[119] have chosen to perform in Israel in recent years.

In October 2021, over 200 celebrities, including Mila Kunis, Billy Porter, Neil Patrick Harris, Helen Mirren, Lance Bass and Jeremy Piven, signed an open letter repudiating calls for a boycott of the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival.

[120] In February 2012, Norman Finkelstein "launched a blistering attack" of the BDS movement during an interview, saying it was a "hypocritical, dishonest cult" that tries to cleverly pose as human rights activists while in reality their goal is to destroy Israel.

"[123] In April 2013, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that the "campaign does not serve the cause of peace and diplomacy for agreement on a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine", and added that Australia has always had firm opposition to the BDS movement.

On 29 May 2013, Jewish Australian academics Andrew Benjamin, Michele Grossman and David Goodman condemned the Coalition's election promise as "an anti-democratic gesture par excellence".

Husain believes that the "voice of the Palestinian imams who want to see an end to the boycott needs to be amplified", as well as those "religious leaders" in Egypt and in Saudi Arabia who "advocate peace".