Social Media Boycott: Global Support for Palestine Through Celebrity Accountability
Watan-As an expression of their strong support for persecuted Palestinians, social media users are boycotting a large number of celebrities who have not used their platforms to speak out against the atrocities committed in the Gaza Strip.
A campaign to boycott these celebrities, influencers, and supporting companies has swept across social media platforms in America and the Arab world amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza since October 7th.
According to a report by “Arab TV”, the campaign aims to unfollow Arab and international celebrities who have remained silent about supporting Gaza and its people who are facing genocide.
Jordan, an American TikToker, stated: “Now there’s a ban on celebrities who don’t use their platforms to talk about the war.”
She added that the goal of the campaign is to ensure that celebrities use their platforms properly and expose what is happening in Palestine. According to the Arab TV report, the campaign was launched after the “Met Gala” fashion event held annually in America, which garners massive global attention.
وسم #مقاطعة_المشاهير يجتاح مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي في أميركا والعالم العربي لمقاطعة المشاهير والمؤثرين والشركات الداعمة لهم في ظل الحرب الإسرائيلية على #غزة.. ما القصة؟ 👇@AnaAlarabytv pic.twitter.com/25WsPpXkul
— التلفزيون العربي (@AlarabyTV) May 12, 2024
Kim Kardashian
The campaign targeted prominent figures such as Kim Kardashian, who lost thousands of followers, as well as singers Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, and other celebrities who attended the mentioned event.
“Ray”, a campaign activist, stated that Kim Kardashian lost 3 million followers. She continued by saying that celebrities and influencers on TikTok are humans like us who have been given power and we can take it back.
Meanwhile, activists called for boycotting supporting companies, and the campaign extended to Arab countries. Activists launched the hashtag “Celebrity Boycott” in solidarity with the American campaign in support of the Palestinian cause.
Silent Herd
Responses and comments on social media platforms varied regarding the global campaign, with many emphasizing the necessity of applying it in Arab countries and unfollowing every famous person and influencer who turns a blind eye to what is happening in Gaza, resorting to “the silence of the lambs”.
“Kawthar Bani Jalil” stated: “Personally, I didn’t wait for 7 months to boycott. From the first days of the war, I decided to unfollow everyone, including newspapers and magazines.”
الشباب بأمريكا قرروا يطوًروا معارضتهم للحرب المجنونة على غزة فأطلقوا حملة #مقاطعة_المشاهير #blockout2024
شخصيًا لم أنتظر 7 أشهر لأقاطع، من اول أيام الحرب قررت ألغي متابعتي للكلً بما فيهم الصحف والجرائد.
الحملة تلقى نجاحا كبيرا فلا تفوًتوا فرصة المساهمة
قاطع كل من يدعم للإحتلال pic.twitter.com/6HdvoVw9nF— Kawther Banni Jalel🔻🔻🔻 (@kawther_jalel) May 11, 2024
She added: “The campaign has been very successful, so don’t miss the opportunity to contribute. Boycott anyone who supports the occupation.”
“Yazan Dawood” expressed his belief that “it’s simply about money. Provision is from God and not from the servant, but there are greedy people who are never satisfied and sell principles for money.”
Maya Rahhal commented: “Since the beginning of the war, I’ve seen Arab celebrities completely disconnected from the reality of what’s happening in Gaza. Hosting parties and dancing as if they have no connection to their own people.”
She added: “So, I made a commitment to myself to boycott all Arab celebrities who dance on the blood and limbs of my people, following the example of the American youth boycotting their celebrities.”
