page_title: Boycotts of Israel
section_title: Diplomatic
hierarchical_section_title: Boycotts of Israel / Arab League boycott of Israel / Diplomatic
context_page_description: Boycotts of Israel are a political tactic of avoiding economic, political and cultural ties with the State of Israel, with individual Israelis or with Israeli-based companies or organizations. Boycott campaigns are used by those who oppose Israel's existence, or oppose Israel's policies or actions over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict, in order to object to Israeli policies in general, or its economy or military in particular.
  Boycott campaigns within the Arab world began before Israel became an independent state and continued through the Arab League boycott of Israel. The most prominent boycott campaign presently is the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which has gained some traction in the Western world. Israel asserts that these campaigns are antisemitic.
context_section_description: Member states of the United Nations were formed into Regional Groups in 1961 to act as voting blocs and negotiation forums. On a purely geographic basis, Israel should be a member of the Asia-Pacific Group but Arab and Muslim nations have blocked Israel from joining. Israel was blocked from the regional group system for 39 years, which besides other consequences prevented it from participating on any UN body. In 2000, to by-pass the ban, Israel was admitted as a temporary member of Western European and Others Group, subject to annual renewal, but only in WEOG's headquarters in the US, which enabled it to put forward candidates for election to various UN General Assembly bodies. In 2004, Israel's membership of the WEOG became permanent, but only in WEOG's headquarters in New York, while remaining an observer at the other UN offices. Only in December 2013 was Israel granted full membership of the WEOG in Geneva, entitling Israel to participate in Geneva-based U.N. bodies, such as the UN Human Rights Council.
  Other countries which do not recognise Israel are Bhutan, Cuba and North Korea.
  When Egypt entered into a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, its membership of the Arab League was suspended until 1989.  In 2002, the Arab League offered recognition of Israel by Arab countries as part of the resolution of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict in the Arab Peace Initiative.
  Sixteen Arab and OIC countries do not accept Israeli passports.  These are Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Eight of these also do not accept passports of other countries whose holder has an Israeli visa endorsed in it.
  The bans may also apply to state-owned enterprises, such as airlines. Twenty-two countries ban direct flights and overflights to and from Israel. These are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen. There was an exception in May 2020 when a flight brought Covid medical supplies for the Palestinians. However, the Palestinian Authority controversially rejected the supplies.
caption:   Israel
     Countries that have recognized Israel
     Countries that have withdrawn recognition
     Countries that have suspended or cut relations with Israel
     Countries that have never recognized Israel