Settlers target McDonald’s over what they call boycott of West Bank

An organization comprising hundreds of disabled Israeli army veterans on June 4 placed large signs in front of McDonald’s restaurants in Tel Aviv similar in look to the warning signs posted at the crossings from Israel into the West Bank and Gaza. “Attention, Israelis! The area in front of you is Area M [a reference to Areas A and B of the West Bank] — an area under the control of a company that boycotts parts of the State of Israel. Anyone entering this area supports this boycott.” Many Israelis posed for photos next to the signs.

The campaign against the world’s largest fast food chain follows a demand by Yossi Dagan, chair of the Samaria Regional Council in the West Bank, to the ministers of finance and transportation, to prevent McDonald’s from competing in a tender to run a franchise at Ben Gurion International Airport because the company refuses to open restaurants in West Bank settlements.

In light of the growing protest, Economy Minister Eli Cohen of the Kulanu-Likud party also urged the attorney general to prevent the company’s participation in the tender. Cohen cited the 2011 Anti-Boycott Law that bans companies that boycott the settlements from taking part in government bids. Cohen told Al-Monitor that McDonald’s was actually hurting Palestinians who would otherwise be employed in these restaurants. “We cannot force companies to come and open [branches in the territories], but we will not allow companies that boycott parts of our state to bid,” Cohen said.

International and even Israeli law do not define the West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of the State of Israel (because Israel never annexed them after capturing them 52 years ago this week). However, Israeli law has found a way around this by expanding the definition of a boycott against Israel to include areas under its control.