Since the commencement of the recent Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, there have been many calls, both from Arab and international quarters, for boycott campaigns across various fronts targeting Israeli products in particular, and those of companies supporting Israel in general. There is an urgent appeal to withdraw support and cease direct or indirect contributions to the sustenance of the Israeli occupation.
Concurrently with the onset of the month of Ramadan, Misbar has identified several campaigns in recent days focusing on Israeli dates and the global promotion of Israeli companies. Attempts to mislead the boycott audience were evident through the alteration of the country of origin label for Israeli products, specifically targeting dates.
Boycott Campaigns Against Israeli Dates During Ramadan
Numerous Arab and global boycott campaigns have been initiated, calling for the boycott of Israeli dates during the month of Ramadan. One such campaign is led by the British Friends of Al-Aqsa organization. In this initiative, Muslims and advocates for the Palestinian cause are urged to boycott Israeli products, specifically focusing on dates, whose sales surge during Ramadan due to increased demand.
Operating under the slogan "Check The Label," the organization encourages consumers to scrutinize date product labels when making purchases. Additionally, they caution against buying dates labeled as imported from Israel or those with labels from other countries, aiming to deceive the boycott.
Israeli Concerns About Boycott Campaigns During Ramadan
The Israeli newspaper 'The Marker' released a report on February 25, 2024, expressing concerns about the potential boycott of Israeli dates during Ramadan, a period widely recognized as the peak for date consumption. According to the newspaper, apprehensions about the boycott prompted the Plant Council to halt a 2 million shekels marketing campaign. This initiative aimed to promote Israeli Medjool dates in Europe, in anticipation of the beginning of Ramadan.
As per a 2022 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization, a United Nations agency, Israel accounts for approximately 75 percent of the global production of the renowned Medjool dates.
Changing Origin Labels To Evade Boycott Campaigns
In this context, Misbar identified instances of deception exposed by activists, involving the alteration of the country of origin that should be accurately stated on products before they are sold. A video was posted on the Friends of Al-Aqsa organization's account on the X platform on March 8, alleging that date boxes were labeled as originating from South Africa, while these dates were actually from Israeli companies. This tactic was employed as part of attempts to mislead the boycott audience during the aggression on Gaza.
Similarly, Oumma's account shared a video on March 1, revealing a change in the country of origin to Algeria for dates being sold in France. However, in reality, these dates are also of Israeli origin, contrary to what was written on the added label.
The deception extends beyond types of dates. The same account posted a video on March 2, claiming to show a change in the country of origin label on avocados, stating they were imported from Colombia. Yet, in reality, they originate from Israel.
The Impact of Previous Boycott Campaigns on the Israeli Economy
The current boycott campaigns against Israeli products are not the first of their kind; they have been preceded by several campaigns in different years, all of which had a tangible impact on the Israeli economy.
According to a report prepared by the American Rand Corporation in 2015 regarding the cost of the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the economic boycott campaigns against Israel between 2013 and 2014 resulted in an accumulated loss for the occupation estimated at around 15 billion dollars. This led to a 3.4 percent decrease in Israel's per capita gross domestic product.
The impact of previous Arab and international boycott campaigns in recent years was not limited to Israeli economic production alone. Some campaigns succeeded in pressuring global companies to withdraw their support for Israel.
An illustrative example is the successful boycott campaign against the German sportswear company Puma, which began in 2018. It forced the company to terminate its contract with the Israeli Football Association and its dealings with Israeli companies operating in illegal settlements on Palestinian lands, as reported by Bloomberg in the past December.
The Israeli Economy During the Aggression on the Gaza Strip
The initial estimates of the consequences of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip indicate a decline of approximately 20 percent in the Israeli economy in the last quarter of the previous year. Additionally, there has been a decrease in overall domestic production by 19.4 percent.
According to the Financial Times, this decline is attributed to various factors, including the mobilization of 300,000 reserve soldiers for military service lasting several months.
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