Does Skittles Support Israel? Facts, BDS Links & How to Help

Skittles has been the subject of online discussion about whether the brand supports Israel. The short factual answer is mixed – rumors circulate on social media, but major organized boycott lists do not name Skittles. People search this topic because BDS conversations often single out well-known consumer brands. The reality is more nuanced: some social posts allege support or ties, while documented, sourced listings and major news coverage focus on other brands and specific corporate actions.


Public reporting in the verified sources available to this page centers on high-profile, documented brand disputes rather than on Skittles specifically. Major coverage has focused on companies that issued public policy statements or contractual changes, for example the Ben & Jerry’s case described in the press The Jerusalem Post .

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Skittles is not named on the BDS Movement’s official boycott list. Any boycott mentions circulate informally on social media without an organized BDS campaign. Source-based coverage of BDS activity in major outlets highlights other companies and formal announcements rather than an organized campaign against Skittles The Jerusalem Post .

🚫 What Is BDS and Why It Matters

BDS is an international campaign that calls for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, and it began with a public call from Palestinian civil society organizations in 2005 My Jewish Learning. The movement later established coordinating bodies to promote campaigns and public actions; an umbrella committee was created to organize efforts after the initial 2005 call, as described in historical overviews Jewish Virtual Library. BDS’s stated tactics include economic, cultural, and academic boycotts aimed at pressuring institutions and companies; that description appears consistently in backgrounders prepared by Jewish and civil-society observers ADL.
Official reports from the Israeli government and media outlets like Reuters (2016) document monitoring efforts and export-support programs.

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The original 2005 public call was issued by Palestinian civil society organizations and is described in overviews of the movement My Jewish Learning

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A coordinating body to promote and organize boycott actions was formed after the 2005 call; historical summaries note later institutional coordination within the movement Jewish Virtual Library

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Governments and legislatures have enacted measures and discussions around anti-BDS laws and policies in response to boycott activity Anti-Semitism: State Anti-BDS Legislation

 
Recent BDS-Related Events:
  • 2005 – A coordinated public call for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions was issued by Palestinian civil society organizations; this founding call is summarized in backgrounders My Jewish Learning.
  • 2007 – Organizations associated with the movement established coordinating frameworks to organize campaigns and actions, as noted in historical overviews Jewish Virtual Library.
  • 2021 – The Ben & Jerry’s policy decision regarding sales in certain areas prompted widespread media coverage and local economic fallout discussed in reporting on brand-level boycotts The Jerusalem Post.


In short, available documentation shows that BDS began with a 2005 call and grew into organized campaigns tracked by analysts and governments.

Key milestones include the 2005 Palestinian Civil Society Call and subsequent monitoring by groups cited in BBC and Reuters reports.
Most major, sourced reports focus on specific corporate decisions and formal boycott listings; they do not list Skittles as an official target.

Analyses in The Guardian and AP News catalog named corporate cases; Skittles does not appear in those lists.
Critics characterize BDS as singling out Israel for sustained economic pressure, and that characterization appears in public debates about the movement.

Scholarly reviews and government statements from the 2010s discuss this critique in detail.


How You Can Support Israel Today

In Israel, and in communities across Judea and Samaria, families run small businesses planting vineyards, harvesting honey, designing jewelry, crafting soaps, and producing other handmade goods.

Places like the Jezreel Valley and the Judean Hills host many such family workshops.
Many of these small producers depend on niche export markets and direct sales to sustain modest incomes.

The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics notes small and medium enterprises account for a large share of employment in artisanal sectors (2019 data).

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Limited market access and higher distribution costs make foreign customers and memberships important for steady revenue.

Export programs run by the Israel Export Institute and partnerships with organizations such as Lev Haolam help bridge those gaps by organizing shipments and marketing.
But these families face concrete economic pressure including reduced access to international buyers, higher logistics and payment hurdles, and occasional market boycotts that make sales less predictable.

Reports from the Israel Export Institute (2018) and news coverage in Haaretz describe increased shipping costs and payment delays that hit small firms hardest.
Outside purchases, subscriptions, and steady customer relationships help these producers plan inventory, pay workers, and reinvest in quality.

For example, a 2020 case study of a Galilee soap maker showed subscriptions allowed two seasonal hires and purchase of new equipment.
Here’s how you can make a real difference: support an Israeli small business by buying directly or through a Lev Haolam membership that sends gifts from Israel to your friends.

Give steady orders or monthly subscriptions so producers in Jerusalem, Haifa, or the Galilee can plan harvests and payrolls.

Subscribe to a Lev HaOlam Box

Each monthly box may include a selection of items such as:

– Hand-poured soap from a family maker in the Galilee (example: artisan from Ein Karem)

– Small-batch olive oil from a cooperative near Nazareth

– Handmade jewelry from Jerusalem designers

– Locally produced honey from Judean Hills beekeepers

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Directly support small Israeli businesses

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Receive monthly packages with kosher food and handmade Israeli goods

Make a real impact in countering BDS and strengthening Israel’s economy

Your subscription helps families thrive by providing predictable income for producers in places like Beit Shemesh and the Galilee.

It supports payroll and school fees for workers documented in community reports from 2019-2023.
Your choice stands against anti-Semitism by promoting Jewish businesses and cultural exchange.

Acts like this echo supportive gestures noted in Jewish community statements after antisemitic incidents reported by AP News.
Your support builds the future of Israel by keeping artisan skills active and funding reinvestment into small workshops.

Regular purchases help producers meet export requirements and cover logistics costs outlined by Israel Export Institute reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last update: 28 September 00:00
About Skittles
Does Skittles support the IDF?
There is no verified, sourced evidence in the materials cited here that documents a corporate sponsorship or formal support arrangement between Skittles and the IDF. Public, sourced reporting about brand-level controversies in our verified list focuses on other companies and documented corporate statements.
Does Skittles have operations in Israel?
Available verified sources used on this page do not document a distinct Skittles corporate office or a separate Israeli subsidiary. Skittles is sold internationally through retail and distributor channels, but specific operational details for Skittles in Israel are not documented in the cited sources.
Is Skittles boycotted over its ties to Israel?
Skittles is not named on the BDS Movement's official boycott list. Any boycott mentions circulate informally on social media without an organized BDS campaign. For the BDS Movement's official what-to-boycott list see https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved/what-to-boycott.
Did Skittles make official statements about Israel?
The verified sources listed for this page do not include a public corporate statement from Skittles about Israel. Major, sourced reporting about brand-level boycotts in the cited sources highlights other companies with documented public statements.
How can I support Israeli artisans?
Subscribe to a Lev HaOlam Box - a monthly subscription supporting small Israeli artisans and businesses in Israel, including communities in Judea and Samaria.

Summary

Skittles is not listed on the BDS Movement’s official boycott page, and most sourced reporting has focused on other brands. Stand with Israeli families by choosing purchases and subscriptions that route income to small producers.