Israel has become world’s most boycotted state: Report

Israel has become the country most exposed to boycotts worldwide, facing a sweeping wave of international sanctions targeting government officials, occupiers and official institutions, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth said Thursday.

Under the headline “How Israel became the most boycotted nation in the world,” the newspaper said Israel has faced “a tsunami of international sanctions targeting Israeli government officials, occupiers and institutions, escalating pressure from multiple countries and long-standing pro-BDS organizations.”

It said France recently barred Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, after previously imposing a similar ban on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

According to the newspaper, the French move came in response to the two ministers’ “active promotion of West Bank annexation, new settlements and policies perceived as undermining the Palestinian Authority.”

READ: France bans Israeli Cabinet Minister Ben-Gvir over treatment of Gaza flotilla activists

Growing momentum

Yedioth Ahronoth said until Oct. 7, 2023, Israel had managed to limit the impact of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns.

“Economic sanctions had little effect because Israel’s strong economy discouraged divestment, while academic and cultural boycotts were largely symbolic,” it added.

However, the phenomenon has intensified, with BDS achieving successes in multiple fields,” the daily said.

“The movement has damaged Israel’s reputation internationally, evident in public opinion surveys showing growing negative perceptions.”

The report cited several examples, including artists refusing to perform in Israel, authors refusing Hebrew translations of their work and campaigns removing Israel from events like Eurovision or FIFA competitions.

It also pointed to growing efforts to withdraw foreign investments, “including the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund divesting from Israeli companies.”

“The UN Human Rights Council blacklist targets Israeli and international companies operating beyond the Green Line,” the paper said, referring to illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“Reports and videos from the West Bank showing occupiers engaging in violent behavior against Palestinians and property damage have further fueled the sanctions,” the report said.