Destruction and warfare. Two words one never wants to hear but which contrarily spill off the tongue more and more in daily conversation. Words which destroy the livelihood of many individuals globally and harm the world’s economy. Similar to this ruinous terminology is a recurring issue that had started and is yet to end, the Israel-Hamas war. It is a matter that dates back to 1947, but has recently made headlines across newspapers and digital platforms since early October.
While the conflict in this age-old battle is over which country gets various land spots on the Kerem Shalom border crossing, it is quickly expanding into a political dispute greater than ever imagined. Since the mass genocide in Palestine, supporters of the country have been boycotting chain restaurants and companies to stop them from profiting off of the harmful intentions they stand for.
After several months of an active boycott, protesters have left restaurants and companies deserted in several countries. As the boycott continues in the United States, it is more prominent in the Middle East as Starbucks and Mcdonald’s, two of the highest-targeted fast-food restaurants, take a staggering hit on their demographic income. Amidst the time of the protest, Starbucks lost over 11 million dollars as boycotts and other factors decreased their profit in the late stage of 2023. In countries like Jordan, pro-boycott residents have even walked into fast-food restaurants to shame them into taking their business elsewhere.
Large companies publicly supporting Israel have been given an immense amount of hate from a majority of the U.S. population. These companies have either proudly stated that they support Israel, donated free meals to Israel’s defense team or openly mocked Palestine support groups.
As citizenship staggers across Middle Eastern countries, many can’t express their freedom in the form of protest. Heavily secured and bounded areas don’t allow any outcast opinions on the government that aren’t positive; rebels would see the boycott as the only way to make their voices heard. In Middle Eastern countries, supporting local businesses instead of chain companies has been a safe outlet to support the effort of the boycott around the world.
More global companies affected by the boycott are Netflix, Disney, Walmart, Amazon, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Dunkin Donuts.
To distance themselves from the conflict, establishments have tried to seep back into the economic scene, but pro-Palestinian voices continuously call out corporate support for Israel instead of them. Social media fuels the efforts of each boycott as it allows viewers to learn more about the conflict at hand while getting involved in political life.
Social media has also inspired active protests around the Omaha area; city-wide boycotts have been happening in the Village Pointe Mall, around 72nd and Dodge and in Ralston. Nearly 100 people gathered in each spot with signs to share their support for Hamas.
Since the frequent calls out, large companies have begun to give back to Gaza-Hamas, supporting their efforts in the war. Both Israel and Hamas have contributed to an exceeding amount of death, weighing in at over 250 deaths per day. To this day, the conflict at the Kerem Shalom border crossing is still happening but will hopefully be resolved on its own shortly.
