Boycott of Israeli products hits western fast-food giants hard

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
24 Nov 2023 15:48
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The targeted multinationals have either pro-Israeli stances or financial ties with "Israel", such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, and KFC, prompting a widespread consumer movement against them.

Tunisian protesters hold placards showing the Palestinian flag in Arabic that reads, "Boycott is resistance, and liberating Palestine is the nation's duty," on March 31, 2019 (AP)

In a sweeping wave of protest, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey witnessed a significant surge in a boycott targeting multinationals that have either pro-Israeli stances or financial ties with "Israel", such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, and KFC, prompting a widespread consumer movement against them.

The recent escalation of the genocide has further fueled the momentum of the boycott. As global pressure mounts on "Israel" for its brutal attacks on Gaza, the movement is gaining traction in other nations, including Kuwait and Morocco.

Social media platforms have played a pivotal role in amplifying calls for the boycott, urging consumers to opt for local alternatives. This has resulted in tangible shifts in purchasing behavior, notably observed in supermarkets and branches of the boycotted chains.

In Jordan, citizens actively supporting the campaign are encouraging customers at McDonald’s and Starbucks to choose alternative options, leading to a noticeable decline in sales for these multinational brands.

Many of you have written to ask us about the accuracy of lists of companies being spread on social media.

We have put together this definitive explainer to help focus our collective efforts on ending complicity with Israel's apartheid regime.#BDS ⬇️https://t.co/iXBj8HwQXo
— BDS movement (@BDSmovement) November 20, 2023

The economic boycott of "Israel"

The ongoing boycott aligns with the broader Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to exert pressure on "Israel" to comply with international law. Since its establishment, it has garnered global support, with thousands of volunteers advocating for its core principle of severing economic, cultural, and academic ties with "Israel" to champion the Palestinian cause.

The impact of the BDS movement has been profound, particularly in causing economic repercussions for "Israel". Anti-Palestinian factions have gone so far as to label it an "existential threat", acknowledging its effectiveness in challenging "Israel's" economic stability.

In July, a bill was passed in the UK that forbids public figures from boycotting "Israel", a motion that was slammed by Alicia Kearns, a conservative member of the British parliament, saying it "gives impunity to "Israel", something that should not be given" to any side,

Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei also stressed that "Muslim states must not cooperate with "Israel" economically," supporting and encouraging the boycott with this statement.