The Lens: Boycotts won’t lead to peace in Israel-Gaza conflict

After McDonald’s in Israel said that it had handed out thousands of free meals to Israeli soldiers amid its war with Hamas, there have been calls on Indonesian social media for a boycott of businesses thought to be pro-Israel, including McDonald’s and Starbucks.

The boycott list has been doing the rounds on Indonesian Facebook and TikTok for weeks now, naming 121 brands that it says are pro-Israel. Other big names on the list include Nestle, Danone and Unilever.

Boycotts are useful in many ways. They can exert economic pressure on companies, potentially affecting their income. This may encourage the companies to rethink their practices and influence their stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Boycotts can shape public opinion and influence societal values.

But I don’t think this boycott will be effective or beneficial. Boycotting Israeli brands may not be an effective way to promote peace and understanding in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While I understand the intention behind such actions, I believe that true reconciliation can only be achieved through dialogue, negotiation and fostering mutual understanding.

Boycotting brands may have unintended consequences, such as impacting innocent workers. If Israeli companies employ Indonesian citizens, a decline in sales could lead to job cuts.

Instead, I support initiatives that focus on promoting dialogue, empathy and education to bridge the divide and work towards a peaceful resolution that benefits both Israelis and Palestinians. By engaging in constructive conversations and seeking common ground, we can create a foundation for lasting peace.

Read up on the issue in last week’s The Lens

Many world leaders visited San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting last week. Because of this, the city tried to show its best side.

The historic meeting of leaders from around the Asia-Pacific region kick-started a clean-up campaign. San Francisco scrubbed its streets, washed away graffiti and cleaned itself up.

The city also removed homeless people from camps near the meeting. It called in thousands of police officers to guard the area around the Moscone Centre, where world leaders were meeting, including US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

More than 1,000 highway police officers lined the streets of San Francisco’s city centre. Metal barricades stretched for several blocks to stop pedestrians crossing the road.

San Francisco’s homeless population was around 7,750 people in 2022, and 57 per cent of them were living on the street.

The city’s housing department said it would not be increasing the number of homeless shelters during the meeting, but it would spend money on 300 new beds as winter arrives.

America’s right-wing media has repeatedly criticised San Francisco’s city centre over the last few months, saying it has a homelessness and drug problem because the city is badly run by a left-wing government.

Forcing homeless people to move will not solve the real problem, which is that there is not enough affordable housing, said Paul Boden, director of a coalition of homeless groups. “Nothing ends homelessness like a home,” Boden said.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters

• Do you recognise the city in the photo? Why are homeless people there being moved by the authorities?

• Do you think this was an appropriate or reasonable move? What impact could it have?