Arabs speak through boycotts against Israel and the West

Some question Arab unity against Israel and lack of mass pro-Palestine demonstrations. But the Arabs are here- boycotting like no other.

Since Israel’s "self-defense" turned into a full-scale genocide in Gaza after October 7, protests erupted across the world. But something stood out—no tidal wave of millions flooding the streets, especially in Arab and Muslim countries. The absence puzzled many in the West. In London, at more than one gathering—including those filled with policymakers—I kept hearing the same remark: Western youth seem to care more about Palestine than their Arab neighbors do. A shallow take, laced with Orientalist undertones.

The reason protests in the Middle East haven’t erupted on a massive scale is simple: authoritarian leaders don’t allow them. They crack down on any gathering that reaches a critical size, regardless of whether the cause aligns with their own interests. Why? Because they fear what social movement theorists call a scale shift—the moment when a protest mutates, grows, and becomes system-challenging. And after the Arab Uprisings, that fear is heightened.

The concept of authoritarian re…