The various ways Israel is facing cancellation

Several European nations, including Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands, recently announced boycotts of the Eurovision Song Contest due to Israel's participation, reflecting broader efforts to isolate the country amid its conflict with Hamas. In a related move, Guinness World Records informed the Israeli charity Matnat Chaim that its plan to organize 2,000 kidney donors could not be recognized as an official record because it is an Israeli organization. Guinness cited sensitivity as the reason, a justification they have also applied to submissions from the Palestinian territories unless coordinated with the UN.

Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, Israel has faced growing cancellations and boycotts across multiple sectors. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign, active in academic circles for over two decades, gained renewed momentum following the Israel-Gaza war. While such efforts have largely failed in the UK, universities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain increasingly sever ties with Israeli institutions.

Emmanuel Nahshon, leading an Israeli universities task force against academic boycotts, reported a surge in such actionsfrom 300 instances in the year after October 7 to over 700 a year later. These include direct boycotts of researchers and institutions, as well as shadow boycotts where partnerships are quietly avoided without explanation.

International academic organizations have also taken measures against Israel. In June 2024, the UN-backed International Sociological Association suspended memberships of Israeli institutions. European archaeologists were at one point required to hide their Israeli affiliations to attend meetings, though this demand was later rescinded. Israeli academics in the UK have faced harassment, including a City University professor targeted for previous military service.

BDS campaigns have targeted investments, leading to divestments from Israeli military firms, and several European nations, including Spain, Slovenia, Belgium, and Norway, imposed arms export bans. A coalition of 12 Global South countries has coordinated legal, diplomatic, and economic measures against Israel, including an arms embargo. Western countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the US, have implemented partial restrictions on arms sales.

Sports have not been spared. Israel has faced bans and protests in football, cycling, netball, Muaythai, and gay rugby competitions. Fans, athletes, and teams linked to Israel have been barred from events, with some competitions canceled entirely due to security concerns or threats. Efforts to prevent Israeli participation in international sports trace back decades but have intensified following October 2023.

Consumer boycotts of Israeli products have largely failed, except in limited cases like the Co-op supermarket, which ceased sourcing goods from Israel alongside other countries. Companies like Lush temporarily closed UK stores in protest of Gazas humanitarian situation.

Cultural sectors have also seen cancellations. Musicians, theatre productions, and opera performances with Israeli involvement have been called off due to activist pressure. Prominent figures in literature, film, and performing arts have joined campaigns to refuse collaboration with Israeli institutions or artists, citing human rights concerns.

Politically, the UK and other nations have expressed disapproval of Israels actions, including debates over arrest warrants for Israeli leaders under the International Criminal Court. Local authorities have voted to halt investments in companies linked to Israeli military activity or human rights violations. At the UN, Israel has faced a high volume of condemnations, far exceeding those for other nations like Iran.

Overall, the combined pressures across academics, sports, business, culture, and politics illustrate an unprecedented international movement seeking to isolate Israel in response to its ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Author: Aiden Foster