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McDonald’s Surrenders to Arab Boycott
Some Arab consumers in the region boycotted the restaurant chain because the franchise owner in Israel provided free meals to Israeli soldiers immediately after the 10/7 attack. It is common in Israel for soldiers to receive reduced prices on products. The boycott pressured McDonalds to take action against its Israeli franchise as sales for its restaurants in several Arab countries reportedly plunged between 50% and 90% following the boycott. The company’s recent announcement to buy all 225 restaurants from its Israel franchisee will give it more control of its brand.
Starbucks also is a target for boycotts – “Starbucks, you can’t hide! You make drinks for genocide!” – even though the coffee chain does not have any locations in Israel. The coffee chain provoked boycott calls after filing a lawsuit against its employee union for misusing the company’s name and logo in social media posts. The Starbucks Workers Union thinks it is being targeted for tweeting its support for the 10/7 terrorist attack and peddling the same anti-Israel BDS lies.
An Arab League boycott began in 1946 – two years before the establishment of the modern state of Israel: “Jewish products and manufactured goods shall be considered undesirable to the Arab countries.” In 1955, the Arab League distributed questionnaires to potential trading partners, including: “Do you have any Jewish employees in your company, if yes how many and what are the positions held by them,” and “What is the number of Jewish laborers in your factories and offices.”
The BDS movement calls for investors to withdraw from Israeli companies as well as American corporations that have businesses in Israel. American pension funds and investment firms that run 401k’s also are targeted if they invest in Israeli companies.
Anti-normalization efforts against Israel continue today. Many Arab and Islamic nations do not have formal ties and even prevent their athletes from competing against Israelis. However, the Abraham Accords prove that peaceful relations are possible. Saudi Arabia – leader of past Arab boycotts – is increasing its diplomatic contacts with Israel.
‘BDS goal: eliminate Israel’
Another part of the BDS campaign against Israel includes financial services companies that use environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores to assess a company's sustainability and ethical performance. The Human Rights Watch Israel and Palestine director – who doubles as a BDS activist – admitted that the movement wants ESG to be manipulated for “human rights advocacy.”
A coalition of 18 state attorneys general are investigating the MSCI investment firm to determine if it is “embracing the BDS movement.” Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody: “Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East and we unequivocally support their right to exist. The BDS movement has one goal, the complete elimination of Israel as a Jewish state.” A similar investigation into Morningstar’s financial ratings led to the firm announcing steps to address its anti-Israel bias.
Dozens of states have passed legislation against BDS because of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion and nationality. Most of the 38 state bills passed with broad bipartisan support.
Universities Are the Hub for Anti-Israel BDS Action
BDS activists were emboldened by the 10/7 attack and are intensifying their efforts across America. Activities that begin on campus usually spread to other areas as students graduate. BDS campaigns on campus are common and are linked to anti-Israel resolutions at local city councils and boycotts by labor unions. Even two museums in San Francisco were targeted with a call to remove “Zionist funders.”
There have been a flurry of recent BDS campaigns on campus. Vanderbilt University canceled a planned student government vote in support of BDS because it might violate a Tennessee law preventing anti-Israel discrimination. About two dozen students responded by illegally occupying the university’s main administrative building. Three students were arrested for assault and bodily injury to another and 16 were suspended.
Jewish student Ryan Bauman: “Jewish students say they don't feel comfortable wearing their Jewish star necklaces, they don't feel comfortable walking on campus to Jewish organizations and that's awful and that has nothing to do with their stance on Israel.” The Univ. of California at San Diego also passed a divestment resolution. Professor Thomas Levy: “They are trying to make it uncomfortable for Jewish faculty and students.”
Students at the State University of NY at Binghamton are demanding “an end to SUNY’s relationship with the state of Israel.” The university forcefully responded: “We will not tolerate racism, hatred or bigotry – nor will we tolerate attacks of any kind on individuals or groups, nor incitement to violence.”
A few months ago, CA’s Hayward City Council voted to divest the city’s investments from four BDS “top priority boycott targets,” including Intel and Hyundai. A local Jewish teacher responded: “My students ask me, ‘Why do they hate us so much’ and ‘When will it be over?’ These kids aren’t even 10-years-old yet. They know what they see and feel. And they feel terrified.”
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