World: The boycott of Israeli companies and their products emerged as a grassroots movement, reflecting the awareness of people worldwide about the brutal massacres and ongoing killings by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, indifferent to international resolutions or the pressures of demonstrations, protests, and student uprisings in global universities.

Recent data from companies associated with Israel or working with it show their profits being affected due to many people refraining from buying their products. British company Unilever, which owns over 30 brands including Rexona, Persil, Close-Up, and Clear, admitted that its sales were impacted in the last quarter of the previous year because it was listed among the companies under boycott, with sales in Indonesia, for example, dropping by double digits percentage-wise.

Similarly, Yum Foods, which owns brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit, saw quarterly revenues fall short of market estimates by 4%, amounting to $2.04 billion. In this regard, the company's CEO David Gibbs said, "During the last quarter, key sales were affected by the conflict in the Middle East, with varying degrees of impact in Arab markets, Malaysia, and Indonesia."

Starbucks Boycott

The coffee chain Starbucks incurred losses estimated at $11 billion amid boycott campaigns, employee strikes, and weak promotional activity. According to Newsweek, recent weeks have been turbulent for Starbucks, with boycotts, employee strikes for better work conditions and wages, and low response to promotions leading to a $10.98 billion decrease in the company's market value. In March of this year, the company decided to lay off 2,000 of its employees in the Middle East due to the consumer boycott linked to the aggression on Gaza, according to sources cited by Reuters.

McDonald's was also heavily targeted by the boycott campaign against Israel in the Arab world, as reported by Reuters, following McDonald's offering free meals to Israeli occupation soldiers alongside Starbucks. McDonald's donated tens of thousands of free meals to the Israeli occupation army, security forces, and Jewish settlers. According to Business Insider, McDonald's provided 4,000 meals daily to the occupation soldiers and settlers and offered a 50% discount to Israeli police.

McDonald's shares dropped by about 1.89% in market value on the New York Stock Exchange, losing $4 per share to record $246.18, compared to the opening price of $251.38.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi

Coca-Cola also suffered significant losses, exceeding $600 million, along with Pepsi, due to their support for the Israeli occupation army. Coca-Cola's share value dropped by 1.68%, recording a price of $52.8 per share compared to an opening value of $53.76.

Zara Boycott

The latest boycott campaigns targeted the Spanish brand Zara due to designs in its new collection, launched last week, which activists considered inspired by the aggression in Gaza and supportive of the occupation.

Images emerged of a model holding a shroud (for the deceased) and, in another picture, appearing inside a shattered box resembling a coffin, with what seemed like a corpse in a body bag in front of her. Thierry Boucquard, an expert in advertising and marketing, stated that boycotts are highly effective, with a "short-term impact on sales volumes and a long-term impact on the brand's reputation and image."

Losses in the Millions

PepsiCo: Profits dropped by 57.7%, with a net profit of $1.3 billion compared to the previous quarter. The Middle East, South Asia, and Africa contributed 7% of PepsiCo's revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023, totaling $27.9 billion, compared to 7.2% during the same period in 2022 and 6.9% in the third quarter of 2023.

2. Coca-Cola: Saw a 35.6% decline in profits during the last quarter of 2023, achieving a net profit of $2 billion. The Middle East, Europe, and Africa accounted for 15.6% of Coca-Cola's $10.9 billion revenue in the last quarter of 2023, an 18.2% decrease compared to the third quarter of 2023, but a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

3. Procter & Gamble: Experienced a 23.3% decline in profits in the last quarter of 2023, achieving a net profit of $3.5 billion. The company recorded net sales of $21.4 billion during the last quarter of 2023, a 1.2% decrease compared to the previous quarter, but a 3.2% increase compared to the last quarter of 2022.

4. Starbucks: Reported a 16% decrease in net profits in the last quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter, with a net profit of $1 billion. However, the company saw a 19.8% growth in profits compared to the same period in 2022. The company's total revenue was $9.4 billion in the last quarter of 2023, a 0.6% growth compared to the previous three months, and an 8.2% growth compared to the last quarter of 2022.

5. McDonald's: Suffered a 12% loss in the last quarter of 2023, achieving a net profit of $2 billion, but experienced a 7.12% growth compared to the last quarter of 2022. McDonald's revenue was $6.4 billion, a 4.3% decline from July to September 2023, but an 8.1% increase compared to the last quarter of 2022.

Effective Yemeni Boycott

In 2021, the Central Bank in Sana'a confirmed that the Economic Committee officially began activating the boycott of American and Israeli goods. This decision was based on a strategic vision for the Yemeni economy, presented by the Yemeni revolution leader, Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi, emphasizing the principles of economic independence and stability, prioritizing self-sufficiency in food, clothing, and medicine.

In November 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, along with its affiliated bodies and institutions, launched economic boycott measures against the Israeli aggression. These decisions came into effect, with the ministry issuing a ban on October 31, 2023, on the entry and circulation of products from American companies and global companies supporting the Israeli entity, canceling the licenses and trademarks of these companies.

At the beginning of 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Sana'a confirmed the success of the boycott decisions against American goods and products from companies supporting Israel in the Yemeni market. Minister of Industry and Trade, Mohammed al-Mutahar, stated, "Field data and indicators confirm the implementation of the ministry's boycott decisions on the ground, with unprecedented popular support for these decisions."