KATHMANDU: A growing number of Western musicians, actors, writers, and other cultural figures are calling for a boycott of Israel over the ongoing Gaza conflict, drawing comparisons to the international cultural boycott of apartheid-era South Africa.
The movement, aimed at pressuring Israel through cultural channels amid limited government-led economic sanctions, has gained momentum across music, film, and publishing industries. British actor Khalid Abdalla, known for The Kite Runner and The Crown, said, “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that, globally, we’re at a tipping point,” after signing a petition advocating a boycott of some Israeli cinema institutions.
Thousands have joined the initiative, including actors Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix, who pledged to sever ties with Israeli institutions implicated in genocide. The push is spreading beyond film, with British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack forming a collective, No Music for Genocide, to restrict streaming of their work in Israel.
At recent awards ceremonies such as the Emmys, winners including Javier Bardem and Hannah Einbinder spoke out about Gaza, echoing statements made earlier at the Venice Film Festival. In addition, Israel faces potential boycotts in sports and Eurovision events, while Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov has publicly announced he will no longer perform in his home country.
Hakan Thorn, a Swedish sociologist at the University of Gothenburg, noted parallels with the South African anti-apartheid boycott, which began in the 1960s after the Sharpeville massacre. “There was definitely a shift in the spring of this year when the world saw the images of the famine in Gaza,” Thorn said.
The BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement against Israel, launched 20 years ago over its occupation of Palestinian territories, has been criticized by the Israeli government as antisemitic. Critics, including UK academic David Feldman, argue that equating the movement with antisemitism misses the point, as it is primarily a protest against the destruction of Gaza.
Experts caution, however, that lessons from the South African campaign show that cultural boycotts alone may take decades to produce change. While the apartheid-era boycott helped isolate the regime, lasting impact came from broader economic and political pressure.
Inside Israel, artists fear the boycott could backfire. Acclaimed screenwriter Hagai Levi noted that “90 percent of people in the artistic community” oppose the war, and that boycotts may inadvertently weaken anti-war voices rather than strengthen them.
The campaign underscores the growing tension between international cultural activism and geopolitical conflict, raising questions about the limits and effectiveness of boycott strategies in the modern era.
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