The Influence of Consumer Animosity, Religiosity, and Social Media Boycott Movements on The Purchase Decisions of Pro-Israel Fast Food Products, with Purchase Intention as an Intervening Variable (A Case Study on Generation Z University Students in B

In recent years, the escalating geopolitical conflict between Israel and Palestine has triggered waves of boycotts against products associated with support for Israel, including fast food brands. Generation Z students, as part of the younger consumer segment who are highly active on social media, demonstrate strong awareness of social and religious issues that influence their consumption preferences and behaviors. Therefore, it is important to understand how factors such as consumer animosity, religiosity, and social media-driven boycott movements influence purchase intentions and purchasing decisions of pro-Israel fast food products, particularly among Generation Z students in Banten Province. This study aims to analyze the influence of consumer animosity, religiosity, and boycott movements on social media on purchasing decisions, with purchase intention as a mediating variable. A quantitative approach with a descriptive method was employed. Data were collected through questionnaires developed based on indicators of each variable and measured using a Likert scale. The results show that consumer animosity does not significantly influence purchase intention (T-Statistic = 0.891 ≤ 1.96; p-value = 0.373 ≥ 0.05) nor purchasing decisions (T-Statistic = 1.264 ≤ 1.96; p-value = 0.206 ≥ 0.05). Similarly, religiosity does not significantly influence purchase intention (T-Statistic = 0.816 ≤ 1.96; p-value = 0.415 ≥ 0.05), but it has a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions. In contrast, boycott movements on social media significantly affect both purchase intention and purchasing decisions. Purchase intention mediates only the effect of boycott movements, not consumer animosity or religiosity. These findings offer valuable insights that can guide the development of targeted marketing strategies and effective social campaigns aimed at enhancing consumer awareness and promoting boycott initiatives.