Boycotting Israel has gone mainstream: We've never seen such traction before'

"Last week the chain was forced to close the last of five locations and lay off the last of 30 staff. It said the war in Gaza had made it impossible to do business; activists claimed the restaurant appropriated Palestinian food and imported Israeli products. It didn't let up: boycotts, harassment, you name it, recalled Dennis Friedman, 46, a Jewish American who co-founded Shouk with Ran Nussbacher, who is Israeli."

"Shouk's experience is not unique. Two years of humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza have fractured the consensus that once shielded Israel from significant international pressure. There are growing calls to shun Israeli and Israeli-adjacent businesses, ban the country from sporting and cultural events, and cut ties with its academic institutions. From stadiums to the high street, from concert halls to the political stage, the boycott movement is moving from the fringe to the mainstream."

Shouk operated an Israeli-inspired, plant-based and kosher menu in and around Washington for more than a decade before closing its last of five locations and laying off 30 staff. The founders cited the war in Gaza as making continued operation impossible. Activists accused the restaurant of appropriating Palestinian food and importing Israeli products, and organized boycotts and harassment that targeted the business. The founders stated Shouk aimed to be apolitical and a place for people to come together. The closure reflects broader trends: growing calls to shun Israeli and Israeli-adjacent businesses and expand boycott, divestment and sanctions efforts amid international outrage over Gaza.

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