Pro Palestine Flashmob Members Accused Of Hypocrisy By Targeting Iphone 17 Apple For Supporting Israel

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IT is a loaded question – why boycott certain products for alleged support of Israel in the on-going conflict in Palestine?
It is a topic that is hotly debated the world over and Malaysia is no different with questions of selective persecution seemingly never far from the discussion.
The matter is further clouded when certain franchise brands perceived as pro-Israel are actually owned by local Muslim enterprises.
There was no such confusion though when it came to the much-hyped launch of Apple’s latest must have accessory – the iPhone 17.
A group of pro-Palestine protestors took the opportunity to voice their opposition to the US tech giant for allegedly being pro-Zionists at the Apple store in Exchange TRX on Sept 19 by pulling out a flashmob display.
It was also claimed that the tech giant uses unethically sourced minerals from DR Congo in its products.

As reported on X by BFM News (@NewsBFM), a group calling itself Malaysian Protest 4 Palestine had urged locals to boycott new Apple devices as well as paid subscriptions to the latter’s platforms such as Apple Music, iCloud and Apple TV.
The NGO also demanded greater transparency in the tech giant’s supply chain as well as to end the use of its technology in surveillance and oppression.

However, a few commenters questioned this line of action, wondering why was only Apple targeted while no protest has been mounted against social media platforms such as Facebook, X or Instagram.

One observer even dared to challenge the protestors claiming they were being manipulated by Hamas to skewer perceptions.

This plea to boycott the latest iPhone 17 could be seen all over social media. An example was a post by #ProRakyatFreePalestibe (@reviewsstuff) which demanded consumers to apply pressure on Apple.
Conceding that it was not easy, this poster firmly believed consumer pressure can somehow make a difference.

He went on to add the proviso that such boycotts was NOT limited to Apple products by stating that others, too, are complicit in the atrocities in Gaza.
It was contended that even Android phones are not spared given that Google, too, “is helping Israel commit genocide & apartheid”.

However, the accusation of hypocrisy was also levelled here. It was asked how come the poster was using platforms such as X and Google to spread this message when they, too, have been accused of supporting the regime in Tel Aviv.

One questioned the ownership of certain companies, again pointing to the perceived selective boycott mentality of certain protestors.

This episode brought to light a few realities.
On the one hand, it is great that many Malaysians – especially the younger generation – have started to question the ethics behind big brands.
Though some may disagree with the protests, it is inherently preferable to a culture of conspicuous consumption, best exemplified by the large crowd waiting to get their hands on the iPhone 17.
On the other, there is a certain whiff of hypocrisy about such protests when one brand is targeted over another when all are allegedly guilty of the same crime.
Is it right for protestors, however well-intentioned, to disrupt the business at a popular mall or to affect livelihood of locals?
Prickly questions that have no easy answers. –  Focus Malaysia

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