Israel/OPT: McDonald's CEO reports 'meaningful hit' to business since boycott over alleged support for Israeli military during bombardment of Gaza
"McDonald's CEO says Gaza boycott campaign hurting sales in MENA region", 5 January 2023
The CEO of McDonald’s, Chris Kempczinski, has said the fast food chain was seeing a “meaningful” hit to business, as customers boycott the firm in the Middle East for its perceived support of Israel.
Mr Kempczinski said calls from pro-Palestinian groups to boycott McDonald’s are based on “misinformation”.
Pro-Palestinian activists encouraged a boycott of McDonald’s after it was revealed that its franchise in Israel was handing out free meals to thousands of Israeli soldiers at the start of Tel Aviv's air and ground assault on the Gaza Strip, which has so far killed over 22,000 Palestinians.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement...listed McDonald’s as an "organic boycott target", saying that the fast food chain "is profiting from the Genocide of the Palestinian people".
McDonald's later claimed that it has "no position" on the deadly war, and that it was not responsible for the actions of its franchisees, who pay the company a fee to license its brand and recipes.
In a post shared to LinkedIn on Thursday, Kempczinski said regarding the impact on business: "This is disheartening and ill-founded. In every country where we operate, including Muslim countries, McDonald’s is proudly represented by local owner operators who work tirelessly to serve and support their communities while employing thousands of their fellow citizens.
"Our hearts remain with the communities and families impacted by the war in the Middle East. We abhor violence of any kind and firmly stand against hate speech, and we will always proudly open our doors to everyone."...
McDonald's has seen a significant decline in Egypt of its sales, which decreased by 70 percent in October and November compared to the same two months of last year 2022.
The majority of McDonald's franchisees in the Middle East and North Africa published statements in solidarity with Palestinians at the onset of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, with many pledging to donate to those suffering in the enclave.