There have been calls in Israel to boycott Spanish multi-national retail clothing chain Zara, after its Israel franchise chairman Joey Schwebel hosted a campaign meeting for MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, chairman of the far-right Otzma Yehudi party, ahead of next week's Knesset elections.
However, a survey by the Ifat media information company found that 67% of the posts on social media in Hebrew supported Zara and Ben-Gvir, while only 27% of the posts were negative. The other 6% were neutral. Overall there were 25,000 posts on the matter, mainly on Twitter and Facebook.
In Arabic in Israel there were 4,800 posts on the matter, almost all of them making negative comments about the Zara brand with the most common message calling on people to boycott Zara and burn Zara clothes.
Ben-Gvir's party, which is running on a joint Religious Zionist party list with Noam, is tipped to win 12-14 seats in next week's elections for the 120-seat Knesset. If Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party can form a right-wing government then Ben-Gvir, a disciple of the late rabbi Meir Kahana is likely to receive a senior ministerial appointment.
Anti-Zara sentiment has been strong in the Palestinian Authority where Mahmoud Alhabash, a senior advisor to Palestinian Authority chairman Abu Mazen, has called for an international boycott of Zara.
A spokesperson for Joey Schwebel said, "We do not comment on private matters relating to the family."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 25, 2022.
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