The American hamburger franchise McDonald’s is facing a difficult time in the Middle East due to the Middle East war between Israel and Hamas. As it was considered a ‘symbol of America’, boycotts took place throughout the Middle East.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 21st (local time), the boycott was sparked when the Israeli McDonald’s operator announced that it would provide free hamburgers to the military and hospitals after the surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on the 7th. The ‘anti-McDonald’s’ movement has spread in neighboring Arab countries. A video in which Ahmad Nagy, a famous Egyptian TikToker, said on the 9th, “This restaurant (McDonald’s) must disappear today and this is the least we can do,” garnered more than 1.3 million views and ignited a boycott movement. . Immediately after the explosion at Al-Ahlia Arab Hospital in the Gaza Strip, some branches of McDonald’s in Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt were attacked and suffered damage, including broken windows.
McDonald’s in the Middle East hastily drew a line by saying that it had nothing to do with McDonald’s in Israel. McDonald’s Kuwait said in his statement: “The Israeli operator’s policy has never been agreed upon with the Arab operators.” McDonald’s in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkuye also sent donations to the Gaza Strip. However, WP reported that Middle Eastern consumers’ anger toward McDonald’s has not gone away. McDonald’s USA headquarters announced on the 21st, “Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our on-site employees and teams.”
Anti-Israel protests are spreading all over the world. On this day, about 100,000 people gathered in downtown London, England, holding Palestinian flags and pickets with signs such as ‘Freedom for Palestine’ and chanted, “Stop the airstrikes on Gaza.” Pro-Palestinian rallies continued in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.