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BOYCOTT ISRAEL CAMPAIGN

 

Burger King Boycott

(Articles in Chronological Order)


Burger King in a shopping mall in Ma'ale Adumim,
built on illegally occupied Palestinian land


BURGER KING'S DECISION TO DO IT THEIR WAY DRAWS BOYCOTT

American Muslims for Jerusalem
PRESS CONFERENCE
August 4, 1999

Restaurant in West Bank settlement angers Muslims and Arabs

Washington, DC (August 4, 1999)- On Thursday, August 5, a coalition of
organizations will announce a worldwide campaign to boycott Burger King
restaurants. American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ) called for the boycott
after Burger King ignored Muslims concerns over the opening of a
restaurant in Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.

Several weeks ago Burger King opened a restaurant in the West Bank
settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. This settlement was built illegally on land
seized from Muslims and Christians by Israel after it conquered the
territory around Jerusalem in 1967. According to international law,
Israel's construction of the Ma'ale Adumim settlement violates the Fourth
Geneva Convention articles forbidding the transfer of an occupying
power's civilian population into occupied territory.

(McDonalds has refused to open a restaurant beyond Israel's pre-1967
borders. Last year Ben & Jerry's refused to allow its Israeli subsidiary
to use water from territory occupied in the 1967 conflict.)

Members of the Muslim community began contacting Burger King three weeks ago at the request of AMJ. To date Burger King has expressed an
unwillingness to address the issue in a manner that shows respect for its
customer's concerns.

Burger King reports 10,365 restaurants worldwide (as of April 30, 1999).
Of these 2,419 are located outside the United States. The corporation has
locations in several Muslim majority nations including Malaysia, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. USA Today recently reported that
Burger King's CEO Dennis Malamatinas is specifically seeking to
strengthen the organization in international markets.

The following organizations have joined together for this effort:

American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Foundation, American Muslims for Jerusalem, American Task Force for Palestine, Arab American
Institute, The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Muslim Public
Affairs Council, National Association of Arab Americans, Palestinian
American Congress and Partners for Peace.

WHERE: 3700 Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA across the street from the
Burger King at 3627 Columbia Pike. This is located just west of the
intersection of Columbia Pike and Glebe Road

WHEN: Thursday, August 5, 1999 at 11 a.m. (Eastern)



Burger giant faces boycott threat

BBC News
August 6, 1999

 

A group of American Muslims is calling for a world-wide boycott of the fast-food chain Burger King after the company opened a new restaurant in an Israeli settlement on the West Bank.

American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ) is demanding the closure of the store at Ma'ale Adumim - disputed land which was occupied by the Israelis during the 1967 war.

The organisation says the settlement, five miles east of Jerusalem is illegal under international law.

Khalid Turaani, the AMJ's executive director, said: "This settlement is part of a series of Israeli projects that ring the city. This ring is generally viewed as an attempt by Israel to consolidate control over territory it seized in 1967.

"Our community views Burger King's decision to become a party to illegal occupation with profound distaste."

Burger King says that it is only one of a number of global brands with a commercial presence in the West Bank.

In a statement, the company said it is "sensitive to all nationalities, religions and cultures, and it is our policy to be respectful of the needs of each in providing access to our products".

Spokeswoman Kim Miller said company officials were trying to "encourage a dialogue" with those involved. "Those conversations have to take place. We need to gain a better understanding of their issues," she said.

'Restaurant must close'

The AMJ says that to avoid a boycott Burger King will have to close down the restaurant and release a statement promising not to open any other restaurants in occupied land.

The group, which is based in Washington DC, also wants Burger King to make a donation to help Muslim refugees.

The West Bank, east of Jerusalem, is land disputed between Israel and the Palestinians.

The two sides are discussing the resumption of negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent peace agreement and a final disposition of West Bank territory, some of which has already has been put under Palestinian administration.

Nine groups, including the Arab American Institute and the Palestinian American Congress, joined AMJ in protesting against the new Burger King restaurant.

Burger King has more than 10,000 fast-food outlets world-wide, including sites in Muslim majority nations of Malaysia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.



Protest grows against burger giant

BBC News
August 10, 1999

 

The Arab League is to consider backing a campaign to force the closure of a fast-food outlet in a West Bank Jewish settlement built on land seized during the 1967 war.

The American-based company Burger King has franchised a fast food outlet in Maale Adumim - a settlement of 25,000 residents just east of Jerusalem and one of the fastest growing in the West Bank.

American Muslims reacted by calling for a worldwide boycott of Burger King outlets unless the franchise is withdrawn.

The Arab League now says it plans to discuss the matter at a meeting of foreign ministers next month.

Burger King officials have said the Miami-based company is taking the issue very seriously and will try to resolve it.

They have said they meant no offence by opening the new restaurant in a controversial location and plan to meet the executive director of American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ) to discuss the issue.

However critics have said that other US companies - including McDonalds - have refused to open in areas outside of Israel's 1967 borders.

Khalid Turaani, the AMJ's executive director, said: "Our community views Burger King's decision to become a party to illegal occupation with profound distaste."

Roaring trade

In Maale Adumin itself, the burger restaurant is reported to be busy with customers critical of the boycott threat.

"We shouldn't involve political opinion with food or other such things. I'm very fond of Burger King," said one settler, Orna Makov.

Maale Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel says the boycott could hamper existing peaceful relations between Israelis and Palestinians.

"We are doing our shopping in the nearby Palestinian market, and they are coming here to our market. Any (attempt) to disturb these relations between us and the Palestinians will hurt the peace negotiations," he said.

The West Bank, east of Jerusalem, is land disputed between Israel and the Palestinians.

The two sides are discussing the resumption of negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent peace agreement and a final disposition of West Bank territory, some of which has already has been put under Palestinian administration.

So far, nine groups, including the Arab American Institute and the Palestinian American Congress, have joined AMJ in protesting against the new Burger King restaurant.

Burger King has more than 10,000 fast-food outlets world-wide, including sites in Muslim majority nations of Malaysia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.



Burger boycott bites in West Bank

BBC News
August 26, 1999

 

Facing a worldwide burger boycott by Arab and Muslim groups, fast food giant Burger King has announced it is closing down a controversial franchise outlet in the Israeli occupied West Bank.

The Miami-based chain, owned by UK firm Diageo DGEL, said it had ordered the Israeli franchisee to remove the Burger King logo from the restaurant immediately.

The dispute focused on a branch of Burger King in the fast growing settlement of Ma'ale Adumim - built on disputed land occupied by the Israelis during the 1967 war.

The Palestinians have long argued that such settlements are illegal.

The opening of the restaurant sparked outrage from American-Arab and American-Muslim groups who said it amounted to support for the Israeli occupation.

Breach of contract

Burger King said the Israeli company, Rikamor Ltd, had falsely stated that the restaurant would be located in Israel and as such was in breach of contract.

Buger King says it does not wish to be seen taking sides
The corporation, the world's second largest food chain after McDonalds, said it would not approve the opening of restaurants in the West Bank at such a sensitive time in the peace process.

"Burger King regrets that its name and reputation have become entangled in matters that have nothing to do with providing quality food and service to its customers," said David Williams, Burger King regional president.

The company added that is has "no interest in taking sides in the Arab-Israeli peace process, except to welcome its early and mutually acceptable outcome."

Arab outrage

Earlier this month, the case attracted the attention of the Arab League which said it would discuss the case at a meeting for foreign ministers in September after a request from Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority.

The growing row had led to calls for a boycott of Burger King, which has 130 restaurants in the Middle East and aims to move soon into Lebanon and Jordan.

Shortly after the Burger King announcement Khalid Turaaniof of the American Moslems for Jerusalem congratulated the corporation for "doing the right thing."

"Corporations should not do business and investment on land that is occupied by force and whose original owners have been displaced into refugee camps," he said.

However, a leading Jewish civil rights group, the Anti-Defamation League, denounced Burger King's decision as "a blatant capitulation _ to the outrageous guerrilla tactics employed by American Arab and American Muslim groups."



Burger King bows to Muslim pressure - cancels west bank franchise

CAIR Action Alert
Washington, DC
August 26, 1999

Alhamdulillah, In an apparent response to a worldwide Muslim and Arab boycott, Burger King Corporation today announced that it has cancelled the contract of a franchise in the occupied West Bank.

On August 5, a coalition of Muslim and Arab organizations* led by American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ), announced an international campaign to boycott Burger King restaurants. The coalition called for the boycott after Burger King ignored Muslim concerns over the opening of a restaurant in a settlement on Palestinian territory occupied by Israel. At a news conference today in the Washington, D.C., coalition representatives called for a lifting of the boycott.

In its statement, Burger King said in part:

"Burger King Corporation today announced that it has cancelled the right of Rikamor, Ltd., its independent franchisee in Israel, to operate a Burger King food court counter in Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank. Burger King has asked its franchisee to remove the Burger King brand from the site immediately."

The fast-food giant said it made the decision because of breach of contract and "misrepresentation" by the Israeli franchisee. The statement claimed that the franchisee "falsely informed Burger King that the food court would be located in Israel."

CAIR, a member of the boycott coalition, issued a statement of its own in reaction to Burger King's decision. The statement by CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad read as follows:

"We are pleased to see that Burger King decided to respect international law and the sensitivities of Muslims worldwide. This courageous step should set a precedent for all corporations considering a move into territories that have been occupied by force. We would also like to thank all those in the Muslim world who supported this successful campaign."


*COALITION MEMBERS: American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council, American Muslim Foundation, American Muslims for Jerusalem, American Task Force for Palestine, Arab American Institute, The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Muslim Public Affairs Council, National Association of Arab Americans, Palestinian American Congress and Partners for Peace.



Of Burgers and Boycotts
Burger King Becomes Entangled in
Arab-Israeli Debate

ABC News
(contrib. Associated Press)
August 27, 1999

 

A quiet, unassuming Burger King restaurant may seem like an unlikely location for the latest chapter in the long-running dispute between Arabs and Israelis on the West Bank.

But on Thursday, Burger King said it had canceled the rights of the independent franchisee to operate it, following pressure from American Muslims.

The restaurant opened four months ago in a new shopping mall in Maaleh Adumim, a Jewish settlement of 25,000 residents three miles east of Jerusalem that is located on land Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Palestinians consider Jewish settlements the main obstacle to establishing their state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. And American Arab and Muslim groups had threatened to boycott the fast food chain.

Mayor Blasts Decision

But it seems Burger King can do no right. Today, the settlement’s mayor expressed anger at Burger King’s decision.

Denouncing the move as “a shame and an abomination,” Benny Kashriel blamed Palestinians for initiating the boycott threat and called on Jews around the world to boycott Burger King.

“It’s a shame a great company like Burger King giving up to the boycott of some Arab countries,” said Kashriel. “They have to learn from the Coca-Cola company that about 30 years ago passed the same way. It didn’t give up and is now in the Arab countries. In the Palestinian towns here and the Israeli towns here [people are] drinking Coca-Cola.” [ see Coca-Cola Boycott ]

Kashriel, who also serves as chairman of the Yesha Council, the body representing Israeli settlers in the West Bank, called on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to suspend peace talks with the Palestinians.

‘A Stupid Thing to Do’

Hamburgers and politics should not be linked, Kashriel said, condemning the decision to shut down the restaurant.

“It’s really a joke starting to connect food and hamburgers to international politics,” said Kashriel. “It’s a stupid thing to do. What does a 10-year-old child, wanting to enjoy a hamburger, the taste of the hamburger, have to do with the peace negotiations?”

To make matters more confusing, the shopping mall’s director denies the restaurant is to close.

“I think that this shopping mall and this branch of Burger King,” said Noah Maayan, “can be a small and, maybe later, a big [aid] to the good relationship between us and our neighbor that lives one mile from here.”

In a statement on Thursday, Burger King said the decision to close the outlet was made “purely on a commercial basis” — and that it had “no interest in taking sides in the Arab-Israeli peace process.”

The date of the closure is still to be decided.


 

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