Western Artists Join Expanding Cultural Boycott Against Israel Over Gaza Conflict

A growing cultural boycott movement against Israel has gained momentum among Western artists, musicians, actors, and writers in response to the Gaza war, drawing parallels with the apartheid-era boycott of South Africa. British band Massive Attack has joined the No Music for Genocide collective, calling for music streaming platforms like Spotify to block their content in Israel due to CEO Daniel Ek's investments in a defense firm and to protest Israeli military actions. Film Workers for Palestine, supported by thousands of signatories including celebrities such as Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix, have pledged to boycott Israeli cultural institutions implicated in genocide. This movement has expanded across various cultural sectors, including calls to boycott Israeli participation in events like the Eurovision Song Contest and exclusion from sports events led by political figures like Spain's Prime Minister. Meanwhile, an academic boycott targeting Israeli universities, rather than individual academics, seeks to cut institutional ties due to their complicity in Israeli policies, emphasizing that the boycott does not impede academic freedom or collaboration. The cultural and academic boycotts represent growing efforts by artists and intellectuals to increase pressure on Israel for a ceasefire and accountability amid widespread international resistance to formal economic sanctions.