Nestlé to Lay Off 16,000 Employees Over Israel-Related Boycotts

DID Press: Swiss food giant Nestlé announced plans to lay off 16,000 employees worldwide over the next two years following a drop in sales linked to sanction campaigns targeting its holdings in Israel.

Nestlé emphasized that the decision is part of a broader cost-cutting program aimed at reducing expenses by CHF 3 billion by next year and is directly related to decreased revenue resulting from campaigns against its ownership stake in Israel.

The company holds more than 50% of Osem, one of Israel’s largest food companies. Amid a two-year conflict in Gaza and documented Israeli atrocities, this stake has sparked a wave of boycotts against products connected to Israel in Europe, the U.S., and other countries.

Israeli media previously reported that the Washington-based “Shuk” restaurant chain was forced to close all its branches due to boycott pressures. Established over a decade ago, the restaurants served Arab foods such as falafel and hummus but were accused by activists of “cultural appropriation of Palestinian cuisine” and “collusion with Israel’s apartheid regime” for selling products from Israeli settlements in the U.S. market.

Economic experts warn that international companies investing in Israel will face growing economic and social pressures amid the expanding boycott movement.