BOYCOTT ISRAEL CAMPAIGN

BOYCOTT McDonald's

Boycott Rating:

The Jewish United Fund that "works to maintain American military, economic and diplomatic support for Israel" lists McDonalds as its major corporate partner in its last published corporate sponser list (2002). McDonald's has 125 restaurants in Israel which have a policy of sacking its Arab employees if they are caught speaking arabic.

Last Updated: 29 July 2009

Products & Affiliated Companies:

McDonald's Restaurants
McCafe Restaurants

Research Findings:

McDonald's is the largest and best-known global food service retailer with 31,000 restaurants around the world in 118 countries.[7]

McDonalds discriminates against its Arab workers, in 2004 it sacked an Arab worker in Israel because she was caught speaking arabic to another Arab employee.[3][4]

McDonalds first resturant in the Middle East was in Israel, opened in 1993, since then it has over 125 resurants in Israel (1996) with a 60% market share and a turnover of over $93 millon (1996), employing over 3000 Israelis[8][9][10]. In April 2009 McDonalds announced its bringing its McCafe chain to Israel[5][6]

According to the Chicago Jewish Community Online (website of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago), McDonalds Corporation whose global headquarters is based just outside Chicago is a major corporate partner of the Jewish United Fund and Jewish Federation(2002).[11].

Through its Israel Commission, the Jewish United Fund "works to maintain American military, economic and diplomatic support for Israel; monitors and, when necessary, responds to media coverage of Israel"[12].

The Jewish United Fund runs "Fun-filled Summer Family Missions to Israel" (the next one is on Aug 19 2002) where families get to "visit an army base and meet with Israeli soldiers" and "visit our sister city, Kiryat Gat and see the important work we are doing there"[13]. Kiryat Gat, you may be aware from theBoycott Intel Campaign, is built on stolen Palestinian land - the lands of the villages of Iraq Al Manshiya and Al-Faluja whose residents were ethnically cleansed in 1949 in contravention of International Law[16]. Through its "Partnership to Israel" programme, the Jewish United Fund provides $1.3 million annually[15] to help the development of Kiryat Gat and to promote further illegal settlement there.

In the Jewish United Funds outreach program they pay for Christian leaders and American high school kids to visit Israel and be fed zionist lies.[14]

Additional Information & References:

[1]	JUF sponsorship - update July 2009 Since our expose of JUF's corporate sponsors (including McDonald's) in 2002, they have removed all reference to the sponsors names from their website. Whilst the corporate names remain hidden, the corporate partnership programme is however still very active, with its own director, Sharon Silberg, who is also reponsible for JUF's Israel Solidarity Day: "Silberg, director of events and corporate partnerships for JUF, also received the Goldsmith Award. In her position, she oversees the planning and logistics of JUF and Federation events, including Israel Solidarity Day. She successfully implemented a multiple structure for Israel Solidarity Day, resulting in increased attendance and record-breaking fundraising. As director of Corporate Sponsors, she has fostered important relationships in the corporate community and been invaluable to the success of the annual campaign." Source: http://www.juf.org/news/local.aspx?id=12864
[2]	Previously we noted that: McDonalds chairman and CEO Jack M. Greenberg is an honorary director of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., of Metropolitan Chicago.[18] This is no longer the case, Greenberg is no longer the chairman & CEO. Its chairman since April 2004 is Andrew J, McKenna who is also the director of Aon Corporation (the other major corporate sponsor of JUF) Source: http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/investors/corporate_governance/board_of_directors.html
[3]	No Arabic at McDonald's Israel by Jonathan Cook, Al-Ahram 4-10 March 2004 "Discrimination against Israel's Palestinian citizens has been expanding to include a total ban of the use of Arabic language by workers. A photograph of Abeer Zinaty shows the 20- year-old student from the mixed Arab and Jewish city of Ramle in central Israel wearing a T- shirt branded with the logo "Excellent Worker 2003 -- McDonald's Israel". Less than a year later she is unemployed, fired by the world's most famous fast food company. Her crime, according to the branch manager, is that she was caught speaking Arabic to another Arab employee. Zinaty's treatment at the hands of the Israeli management of McDonald's is a stark illustration of an ever-swelling tide of discrimination against Arab workers, director of Mossawa -- a political lobbying group for Israel's one million Palestinian citizens -- Jafar Ferah told Al-Ahram Weekly. Nominally, Arabic is an official language of the State of Israel, but it has been long-standing practice in many Israeli firms to ban its use among staff. It is the first time, however, that a company of McDonald's stature has implicitly acknowledged that speaking in Arabic provides grounds for dismissal. The decision to fire Zinaty for speaking Arabic was confirmed by McDonald's Ramle branch manager to Al- Ittihad, a local Arab daily newspaper, last month." Source: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/680/re104.htm
[4]	McDonald's Israel's ban on Arabic Source: http://electronicintifada.net/bytopic/251.shtml
[5]	McDonald's brings its McCafe chain to Israel, by Adi Dovrat, 1 Apr 2009 "McDonald's Israel plans to open McCafes in about a quarter of its 150 local branches, at a pace of ten a year." Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1075375.html
[6]	McDonald's to launch coffee chain in Israel, by Navit Zomer, 03.23.09 Source: http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3690593,00.html
[7]	About McDonald's Source: http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/students/faq_for_students.html#10
[8]	McDonald's Israel opened its first restaurant in October 1993, in Ramat-Gan (a suburb of Tel Aviv). Today, McDonald's Israel operates more than 80 restaurants across Israel. McDonald's Israel Benefits the Israeli Economy McDonald's Israel proudly sources over 80% of its ingredients locally, including 100% kosher beef patties, potatoes, lettuce, buns, and milkshake mix. McDonald's Israel employs 3000 Israelis. McDonald's in Israel It should be noted, in its favour, that when in 1999 an international campaign forcedBurger King to withdraw its name from a restaurant that had been built in the illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, the general manager of McDonald's Israel, Omri Padan, said that he will never open a branch on the occupied territories. Source: http://www.mcdonalds.com/countries/israel.html
[9]	McDonald's Israel Source: http://www.mcdonalds.co.il/full.asp?pageName=english&worldName=none
[10]	McDonalds to open 24 new branches by 2009, Israeli CEO: Lebanon War lost us over 10 million NIS According to McDonald's Israel CEO Omri Padan, the chain is growing at 8-9 percent per year. McDonald's currently operates 125 restaurants in Israel and plans to operate 150 by the end of 2008. Padan reports that the expected turnover for McDonald's Israel in 2006 stands at over 400 million NIS (USD 93,283,500). In 2005 the turnover stood at only 380 million NIS (USD 88,619,400). Padan also noted that the war in Lebanon cost the chain considerable financial damage, with an estimated loss of over 10 million NIS (USD 2,332,000) during 2006 due to the closing of 20 northern branches over the course of the summer – considered to be a crucial time in fast-food sales. "If it weren't for the war," said Padan, "we would have reached a 414 million NIS (USD 96,548,5000) turnover." Padan estimates that the turnover for 2007 will reach 450 million NIS (USD 104,944,000) and 500 million NIS (USD 116,604,400) in 2008. Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3321068,00.html
[11]	Chicago Jewish Community Online (website of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago) http://www.juf.org/cent/partners.asp After the successful take up of the boycott around the world, companies are for the first time shy to show their support for the zionist state. As a result this page which lists the corporate partners was quickly taken off.. Luckily we managed saved a copy (below). Notice that the partners list is split in to three tiers. Presumably the largest contributors are in the first tier with their names in a large type. Mcdonald's is third on this tier withSara Lee fourth. Other partners include several newspapers, banks and finance companies. JUF web page (feb 2002), before it was removed, which lists the corporate partners Page no longer available but archive can be seen at: http://web.archive.org/web/20020208120848/http://juf.org/cent/partners.asp Source: http://www.juf.org/cent/partners.asp
[12]	THE ISRAEL CONNECTION The Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago maintain strong ties to Israel in a variety of ways. The Partnership 2000 Program forges business, professional, and personal links; Israel Experience Programs for teens and young adults provide education and enrichment opportunities; and JUF Missions offer families, singles, and others a wide variety of travel options; the Israel Commission of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish United Fund enables the organized Jewish community to maintain its interest in Israel-related issues. Source: http://www.juf.org/jewish_identity/ji_connect_home.asp THE ISRAEL COMMISSION "The Israel Commission serves as a forum for the organized Jewish community to promote understanding of Israel and Middle East developments, most recently including those connected with the peace process; works to maintain American military, economic and diplomatic support for Israel; monitors and, when necessary, responds to media coverage of Israel; plays a leadership role in organizing and planning the annual community-wide Yom Ha'Atzmaut celebration; and helps promote Israeli cultural events in the metropolitan area." Source: http://www.juf.org/services_resources/sr_jcrc_israelcom.asp
[13]	Summer Family Mission to Israel August 19-23, 2002 Led by Missy & Allan Malmed ...Walk in the steps of your ancestors and view the amazing excavations at the Southern Wall ... Stop at Mt. Hertzel where Yitzak Rabin is buried ... Visit our sister city, Kiryat Gat and see the important work we are doing there ... Visit an army base and meet with Israeli soldiers ... Learn the important history of the Golan Heights ... Source: http://www.juf.org/mission/ Source: http://www.juf.org/mission/mission.asp?id=9
[14]	OUTREACH TO THE GENERAL COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP MISSION TO ISRAEL In past years leaders from a broad spectrum of Christian faith communities have been invited to participate in a week-long seminar in Israel, coordinated by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and the American Jewish Committee, and jointly sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the American Jewish Committee. SPEAKERS If your group is interested in having a speaker address the topics of Israel, Israel's role in the Middle East, Jerusalem, or the peace process, contact... HIGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH The Israel Youth Delegation is an official joint project of Israel's Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education. The purpose of the project is to make American high school students aware of Israel ... Source: http://www.juf.org/services_resources/sr_jcrc_outreach.asp
[15]	PARTNERSHIP 2000: OUR LINK TO ISRAEL In Chicago, the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation is twinned with the Lachish region, comprising the city of Kiryat Gat and the rural areas of Lachish and Shafir. Through this partnership, $1.3 million from the Jewish United Fund is allocated annually for projects that promote the region's development... (incidentally, the map they use shows Gaza and the West Bank as integral parts of Israel) Source: http://www.juf.org/jewish_identity/ji_connect_p2000.asp
[16]	For full information on Kiryat Gat please see the article on Intel already facing possible legal problems for building its chip plant in Kiryat Gat : http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-news-0194.html
[17]	The oppressing arches of McDonalds can be seen in most Muslim countries. In Saudi Arabia there are 83 branches including four in Madina and four in the Holy City of Makkah, including one just metres away from the Holy Kabba in the Abraj al-Bait ("Towers of the House") shopping centre. Prince Mishaal Bin Khaled Al Saud is McDonalds licencee in the kingdom. Source: http://www.mcdonaldsarabia.com/english/ksa/locations.asp Source: http://www.mcdonaldsarabia.com/english/ksa/about_story.asp
[18]	http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/info/exec_bios/greenberg/index.html Page no longer available but archive can be seen at: http://web.archive.org/web/20021201101351/http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/info/exec_bios/greenberg/index.html Source: http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/info/exec_bios/greenberg/index.html