War on Gaza leaves US, companies in dire straits amid five impacts

The US government and businesses in the region must pay heed to these five potential consequences of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has taken over 36,586 Palestinian lives and left 83,074 injured, according to Stefanie Hausheer Ali of the Atlantic Council.

1. The reputation of the United States and the brands of American corporations have suffered serious damage throughout the area.
2. Boycott campaigns against some American companies will resurface on occasion.
3. “Israel’s” declining ability to attract foreign direct investment.
4. Arab nations are publicly distancing themselves from the US in certain ways, but they still want strong connections.
5. The increased likelihood of regional protests and lone-wolf operations. 

Hausheer Ali notes that prior to October 7, the Arab world was enraged with the US backing of “Israel” and support for the US was low throughout the Middle East. The President’s current backing of the occupation along with Israeli actions following October 7 have fueled popular dissatisfaction with the US to unprecedented levels. 

In Middle Eastern nations where rallies are strictly prohibited and the repercussions of speaking out may be serious, Hausheer Ali notes that boycotting American products is a low-risk approach to show collective outrage about the US backing for its ally. Boycott movements of this sort have occurred intermittently in the past, but they lacked the momentum and impact of those happening now.

The boycott campaign is not exclusive to the Middle East. Two recent waves of social justice campaigns, #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, have focused attention on inequality and abuse in the United States. These movements affected many young Americans and fueled advocacy for other underprivileged populations, such as Palestinians.

In addition, funding for Israeli tech startups sunk by 56% in 2023, with the number only expected to rise. The reputational risks and financial gains associated with “Israel” have increased significantly.

Hausheer Ali also explains that multinational firms are concerned about internal employee-led movements after witnessing the negative impact of boycotts and protests. In summary, non-core business investments in “Israel” may be postponed, while future investments may be diverted elsewhere.

Political violence in US becomes new global threat: Bloomberg

US political violence has become the world’s top threat, according to consulting firm Eurasia Group’s founder and president, Ian Bremmer, during Bloomberg‘s podcast, In the City.

He said that right now is a “horrible time for an election” in the US, noting that political violence has soared after former President Donald Trump’s criminal conviction last week.

“Unprecedented things are happening in US politics on a weekly basis, and Americans are normalizing those things. You’re just getting used to it. It’s the frog in the boiling pot. This is not a sign of a stable democracy.”

The staunch support a lot of Wall Street billionaires show for Trump, despite his new status as a convicted felon, is unsurprising, given the fact that they view “Trump is better for their money than [President Joe] Biden.”

When it comes to the war on Gaza, the matter continues to pose a big risk as it also negatively impacts Biden’s election objectives, especially with how “Israel’s” far-right cabinet takes the pressure from its main ally and arms supplier, the US. 

Yet, this is not new for American political violence, this is only mounting. 

Netanyahu Congress speech expected to be disrupted, boycotted

As the US Congress braces for Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address in a few weeks, Axios reported that much of the Democrat caucus will not attend the speech, and while it is not a majority, it is enough lawmakers to create a stir within the Democratic party and along partisan lines.

This comes in continuation of how some Democrats have been vocal about their rejection of the Israeli occupation’s genocide in Gaza under Netanyahu.

The Dems have numerous issues with the speech, one is his unpopularity within the party and the other is that many fear that the Republicans invited Netanyahu to give his address merely to utilize the party’s view of the Israeli premier to cause infighting among the Democrats, with many arguing against inviting him in the first place.

If the speech is boycotted, it is not unlikely that it would be reminiscent of when the Israeli premier addressed Congress in 2015 under Obama, as 58 Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech, and as the Israeli war crimes in Gaza are still ongoing, it would not be surprising if even more members of the Democratic caucus miss the speech.

The boycott is expected to be “large”, and there are “a lot of people who are extremely upset he is coming here,” Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal told Axios, adding that many of the Congress members who attended the 2015 address said they would be skipping this upcoming one.

Moreover, one House Democrat told Axios on the condition of anonymity that many members of the Democratic caucus said they would not make a decision right now and would wait until the very end to see if they would or would not attend, with some saying that attending the speech would hinge on whether a ceasefire resolution is reached by the time it takes place.

There are those opposed to Netanyahu who will be attending. However, they are doing so with the aim of disrupting the speech. One senior House Democrat said it is “all being discussed” and that “a number [of Democrats] are going and disrupting” the speech.