Honda

🚨 Honda Boycott Reasons

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is a global automotive, motorcycle, and power equipment manufacturer founded in 1948, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Honda has operated in israel through its exclusive distributor Mayer Cars & Trucks Co. Ltd. since 1989. Mayer is one of israel's largest automotive importers, holding distribution concessions for Volvo, Honda, Renault, Lynk & Co, and Polestar. Mayer is a registered contractor directly supplying the IDF and co-owns Merkavim, israel's sole manufacturer of armored buses. Honda's BF225 outboard motors power tactical boats enforcing the Gaza naval blockade via IMOD tender, while its GX-series engines power the IAI Bird Eye 400 tactical surveillance drone. Honda invests in israeli technology companies through Honda Xcelerator Ventures. Al-Haq approached Honda regarding its distributor Mayer's garage in a settlement and armored bus production; Honda did not respond. OpenIntel rates Honda 527/1000 (Tier C) on its BDS-1000 index.

Key Boycott Drivers:

1. Exclusive Partnership with Mayer Cars & Trucks and Military Supply: Honda has operated through its exclusive israeli distributor Mayer Cars & Trucks Co. Ltd. since 1989. Mayer is not merely a retail partner; it is a registered contractor directly supplying the IDF. According to a Freedom of Information response cited by Who Profits, Mayer supplied the IMOD between 2017-2021 with NIS 28,104,830.98 worth of Volvo vehicles, spare parts, and maintenance services and NIS 17,792,161.94 worth of engines, generators, and spare parts. Mayer also supplied the israeli Police with NIS 1,123,697 in maintenance services and bus sales in 2020. Mayer co-owns Merkavim, israel's sole manufacturer of armored buses; Merkavim is the sole producer of the "Mars Defender" armored bus used to transport settlers and Palestinian prisoners. Honda's maintenance of this partnership creates a revenue stream that cross-subsidizes occupation infrastructure.OpenIntel: Honda Military Audit — Mayer IMOD supply contracts (June 2026)OpenIntel: Honda — Executive Dossier — Distributor Shield and Merkavim (2026)
2. IDF Naval Blockade and Tactical Drone Engines: Honda's BF225 outboard motors are procured via IMOD tender (e.g., Tender No. 40005163) to power tactical interceptor boats (RHIBs) enforcing the naval blockade of Gaza. Additionally, Honda GX-series internal combustion engines serve as the propulsion units for the IAI Bird Eye 400 tactical surveillance drone, a platform used for battalion-level reconnaissance and target acquisition. This constitutes "Dual-Use Drift," where civilian reliability is repurposed for military lethality.OpenIntel: Honda — BF225 and GX engine IDF use (2026)
3. Integration with israeli Technology and Defense Industry: Following the catastrophic 2020 "Snake" ransomware attack, Honda integrated israeli cybersecurity solutions (Claroty, Upstream Security) into its global manufacturing and connected vehicle stacks. This dependency is deepened by strategic equity investments in dual-use technologies—such as UVeye (surveillance/inspection) and Addionics (batteries)—mediated through the Honda Xcelerator program and the DRIVE TLV innovation hub. Honda Xcelerator Ventures participated in a ~$22 million Series A for israeli nuclear-fusion startup nT-Tao and has engaged OurCrowd since January 2016 for israeli deal-flow. These investments facilitate the "civilianization" of occupation-born innovation into the global automotive market.OpenIntel: Honda Economic Audit — nT-Tao investment and OurCrowd (June 2026)OpenIntel: Honda Digital Infrastructure Audit — Claroty, Upstream Security (June 2026)
4. Al-Haq Submission and Corporate Silence: The Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq approached Honda to express concern regarding its franchise agreement with its israeli distributor Mayer Cars & Trucks. Al-Haq pointed out that Mayer operates a garage in a settlement near Jerusalem and is involved in manufacturing armored buses used to transport settlers. Honda did not respond, either to Al-Haq or to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Honda also canceled a motorcycling event it had sponsored that was initially planned to take place in a settlement, after concerns were raised by NGOs. Honda applied decisive sanctions in Russia in 2022 but has remained silent on Gaza.Business & Human Rights Centre: Al-Haq expresses concerns about Honda's involvement in israeli settlements (September 2026)OpenIntel: Honda — Withdrawal from Russia, silence on Gaza (2026)

🌐 Sources

• OpenIntel: Honda — israel Complicity Index (BDS-1000: 527/1000)
• OpenIntel: Honda — Military Audit
• OpenIntel: Honda — Economic Audit
• Business & Human Rights Centre: Al-Haq Honda submission (September 2026)
• NEWSru: israeli police switch to hybrid Honda vehicles (April 2008)
• Honda: Mayer Cars and Trucks — israel distributor (2026)