April 7, 2025, New York, N.Y. — The American Jewish Congress strongly condemns a boycott campaign launched by Dubai-based media outlet Smashi, owned by Augustus Media, targeting Shopify President Harley Finkelstein for publicly supporting Israel’s right to self-defense and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
This campaign is a politically motivated effort to punish a business leader because of his Jewish faith, in a brazen example of antisemitism. By turning a media brand into a tool of ideological retaliation, Augustus Media is fueling antisemitism under the guise of corporate activism.
Compounding the concern, Augustus Media has also been criticized for publishing a regional map that erased Israel entirely, echoing the rhetoric of extremist groups and disinformation campaigns.
Such conduct may also run afoul of laws in the United Arab Emirates, where Augustus Media is based. The UAE has positioned itself as a regional model for tolerance, with regulations that discourage politicizing commerce and inciting religious hatred. We urge UAE regulators to examine whether Augustus Media has violated its licensing terms or the country’s anti-hate laws. We also urge the UAE National Basketball Team to reconsider its partnership with Smashi, whose parent company, Augustus Media, is acting against the spirit of the Abraham Accords. Encouraging commercial boycotts over politics and targeting business leaders because of their faith runs counter to the region’s ongoing efforts toward inclusivity, tolerance, and long-term conflict resolution.
If Augustus Media does not retract its call to boycott Shopify, we urge Disney to reconsider its affiliation with the company’s ‘Lovin Doha’ brand, which Augustus promotes as a proud partner of Disney’s The Magic Box event in Qatar.
This boycott campaign also raises questions about Augustus Media, whose founder recently addressed the Arab-Irish Business Forum — and its connection to Ireland, a country that has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic sentiment in recent months.
Ireland’s government has repeatedly aligned itself with anti-Israel positions, including legislation to criminalize trade with Israeli companies, early recognition of a Palestinian state following Hamas’s October 7 attacks, and the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin due to safety concerns. Meanwhile, Ireland continues to benefit significantly from U.S. tax incentives and trade advantages through its hosting of the European headquarters of major American tech and pharmaceutical firms.
This disconnect—between benefiting from American economic partnership while turning a blind eye to terrorism and antisemitism—should concern U.S. policymakers.
This Is a Test of Moral Clarity
This is not about policy disagreement. It’s about targeting individuals for being Jewish and for supporting the release of civilians abducted by a terrorist group. If left unchallenged, such actions normalize hate and empower those who exploit business and media platforms to promote antisemitism and division.
The American Jewish Congress stands with Harley Finkelstein and with all those targeted for defending democratic values and opposing terrorism. We will continue to call out those who cross the line from criticism into hate, and we urge governments and civil society leaders to do the same.
