More than one in three people say they would boycott a brand seen as supporting one side in Israel’s war on Gaza, with oil-rich Gulf states and major Muslim-majority countries leading the way.
The latest edition of an annual Trust Barometer report from PR agency Edelman underlined how sharp divisions over the war are causing consumers around the world to take a stand with their wallets.
The research surveyed 15,000 consumers in 15 countries, including France, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and the US.
The poll does not reveal who respondents chose in the war, but of the top five countries cited as involved in boycotting brands over Gaza, three are Muslim-majority countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia. India also has a significant Muslim minority. Germany was the fifth country.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has gained popularity around the world as it seeks to pressure Israel over its violations of international law and oppression of Palestinians. However, it has also faced fierce opposition in the US and other Western states, where significant numbers of the population are sympathetic to Israel.
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starting with Turkey
Saudi Arabia saw the highest number of respondents, 71 percent, saying they boycott brands because of their perceived support for one side.
The population of Saudi Arabia is predominantly pro-Palestine.
A poll conducted in December by the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Affairs, a pro-Israel think tank, found that 96 percent of Saudi nationals believe Arab countries should cut ties with Israel in response to the war on Gaza.
Before the war, the US was actively working on an agreement that would allow Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations.
In the UAE, 57 percent of respondents said they are boycotting brands because of the war.
In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, more than one in two people also said they were boycotting brands.
The number of respondents from Arab and Muslim countries boycotting products because of the war on Gaza is substantially higher than the global average of 37 percent, just over one in three respondents.
‘Consumer nationalism’ is booming in the Gulf
The boycotts are palpable in the boardrooms of Western companies.
In March, retail giant Alshaya Group, which owns the rights to Starbucks in the Middle East, decided to start laying off more than 2,000 employees in the region and North Africa, or four percent of its total workforce, due to consumer boycotts that related to Gaza.
Gaza war: Omanis boycott Western brands and fast food chains as many turn against the West
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McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski also said earlier this year that sales were weaker in Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, and across the Middle East.
McDonald’s sparked outrage among pro-Palestinian activists in October when the Israeli franchise announced it would provide free meals to Israeli soldiers at its branches in the country. In Pakistan, the franchise cut its prices and was forced to issue a statement distancing itself from McDonald’s in Israel.
“The ongoing impact of the war on the local operations of these franchisees is disheartening and unwarranted,” Kempczinski said Monday, speaking to analysts during the company’s conference call.
Consumers in the Gulf region have long been a prize for Western companies because their young population has relatively high purchasing power. Their oil and gas producing economies have not been hit by wars and crises like other Arab states since the Arab Spring.
Middle East Eye has reported how consumers in Oman, a key Western partner, have boycotted Western goods because of the support given to Israel by the US and its allies. They switched from drinks like Mountain Dew to Kinsa, a Saudi drinks brand. In Pakistan, local brands have started producing local products to replace Western soft drinks and cosmetics.
The poll also highlighted rising consumer nationalism in the Gulf states. The number of respondents in Saudi Arabia and the UAE who say they buy their country’s brands over foreign ones increased by 13 and 10 points respectively.