McDonald's free meals for Israeli Soldiers has raised a major controversy - should people protest/boycott?
No company in any country can open and run a McDonald without the consent and agreement of McDonald, and if permission is given, then monies flow to owner of McDonald, which is a US corporation, and to date the owner, 'McDonald's Corp declined to comment...'
What is McDonald's position on the Israeli-Palestine(Gaza included) situation?
Given that McDonald's did not sanction McDonald's Israel for giving free meals to Israeli soldiers, that tells a lot... They could have reprimanded Israel McDonald and said that McDonald stays independent and will not take any position in the conflict as its official business position, but it did not...
The big boss is ultimately McDonald Corporation, a US dominated corporation, and no franchise holder can go against it...
McDonald Malaysia, possibly worried about the backlash - maybe even a boycott, did the following
# McDonald’s Malaysia is contributing RM1 million to the recently launched Palestine Humanitarian Fund under the Prime Minister’s Department.
# Throughout October, McDonald's Malaysia will organise birthday celebrations involving more than 12,000 orphans from 400 welfare homes selected throughout the country.
Will that affect our position about McDonald?
How much money that Malaysians spend in McDonald's flow back to the mother company in US - and to the US government?
McDonald Malaysia, maybe registered under a Malaysian company, which certainly does not mean it is INDEPENDENT to do as it wants..
Is McDonald Malaysia for the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli troops back to its 1948 Israel border, which means finally true 'independence and freedom' for West Bank?
Will McDonald's Malaysia state that it is disappointment by the US use of its VETO to block the UN Security Council's Resolution for a pause in fighting to allow humanitarian assistance to Gaza...?
The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have condemned Hamas’ attack on Israel while calling for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza.The US was the sole vote against the resolution on Wednesday, with 12 members voting in favour and Russia and the United Kingdom abstaining.
Gone are the days when businesses could stay silent on issues of human rights - today businesses are required to take a stand on issues, if not CUSTOMERS may choose to not give them business...after all, there are OPTIONS in the day and age.
Wonder whether McDonald's Malaysia is linked to the government, friends of Anwar, or what... after all, Anwar too seems not to make known his position on Israel Mcdonald's giving free food to Israeli soldiers?
What exactly is Anwar Ibrahim's position...the unity government's position...will it criticize the US for using the VETO? Probably not, for like Najib, Anwar too maybe pro-US....and will just talk about 'end of fighting' and humanitarian aid...just like Malaysia's response to floods...
Without taking a strong position to deal with the ROOT CAUSES, the problem in Palestine and the peoples' suffering will continue. Malaysia may continue to provide humanitarian aid, medical aid and money to maybe repair houses/places of prayer, etc ...
Then, the fighting in Gaza will stop and many burials ....then, again it will flare up and the same calls over and over.
KEY POINTS to remember:-
1. There was no ISRAEL nation state, until 1948. Then, the British decided to support the Jewish Zionist movement's call for a separate Jewish state, which led to migration of Jews from Europe, Asia, Africa, US...
2. After World War II, the UN decided that Palestine be divided into 3 > a separate Israel Jewish State, a separate 'Arab' State, and self-governed independent Jerusalem.
3. Then, there were wars with neighboring countries, and Israel OCCUPIED territories beyond its border - including West Bank and Golan Heights. What happened to Occupied Territory Golan Heights - well, Israel claimed it as part of Israel, and in 2019, the US President Donald Trump has recognized the disputed Golan Heights as Israeli territory. Well, new US President Biden have not reversed the widely denounced decision.
4. What about West Bank, the occupied Palestinian territory - despite global condemnation, Israel continues to remove Palestinians, and build new Israeli settlements. UN has told Israel to stop it. International Court of Justice, also found the settlements to be illegal under international law. What is it all leading to - possible annexation of West Bank(or parts of West Bank) into Israel. At the end of day, there maybe no more Palestine - and even the UN Security Council, because of the VETO power held by the US and some other friends maybe nothing more than a 'toothless tiger' when it comes to Israel-Palestine issue. [We condemned Myanmar for what it did to the Rohingya, but in Palestine, the same has been happening for a long time)
5. Then, there is the issue of Jerusalem. It was supposed to be independently governed, not by Israel nor Palestine. Israel's claim to the eastern part of Jerusalem is not recognized internationally. In July 1980, Israel declared Jerusalem the unified capital of Israel - hence no more Tel Aviv. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital – without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city - and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018. Biden has not reversed this decision.
6. Mass human rights violations during the 50 year plus occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have devastated the lives of millions of Palestinians. Israel unilaterally withdrew all Israeli security forces and settlements from the Gaza Strip in August–September 2005. Gaza ended up becoming the biggest 'detention center' as Israel controls all its borders - so much so, that even humanitarian aid cannot get into Gaza.
7. West Bank is still occupied territory - and Palestine have limited administrative authority.
That is, in brief, some points that people must know:-
WHAT SHOULD WE DEMAND?
1. Immediate withdrawal of Israel from all occupied territory, including West Bank, and Palestinian full independence.
2, That peacekeeping forces immediately enter the occupied territories and Gaza to protect the people of Palestine, and to ensure peace in the region.
Remember that the Palestinian people are multi-religious - Muslims, Christians and Jews. The Palestinian struggle is NOT an Islamic struggle or JIHAD > it is a national struggle for independence of their land/territory.
An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians
So, what will our Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his government do - make the right demands, or simply stick to stop the fighting and humanitarian aid?
Will the government take a stand against the US, or Mcdonald's ...or NOT?
Free meals for Israeli soldiers divide McDonald's franchises
Israeli customers at a McDonald's restaurant in Tel Aviv March 2, 2006. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
RIYADH, Oct 17 (Reuters) - McDonald's (MCD.N) franchises in some Muslim countries disavowed a move by the company's Israeli restaurants to give free meals to the Israeli military, highlighting the polarized regional politics that global corporations navigate during war.
McDonald's Israel said on its social media accounts last week that it has given thousands of free meals to Israel Defense Forces personnel. On Sunday, the franchise stated again that it was donating meals, "to all those who are involved in the defence of the state, hospitals, and surrounding areas."
Around 1,300 Israelis were killed by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7. Israeli bombardments have since killed about 3,000 people in Gaza.
McDonald's Israel is owned by Alonyal Ltd, according to a company statement. Further information about the company was not available.
The U.S. burger giant's franchises in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Turkey issued statements disassociating themselves from the Israeli franchise and in most cases pledging aid to Gaza.
"In regard to the news that McDonald's in Israel was donating meals. We affirm that it was an individual decision on their part," McDonald's franchise in Saudi Arabia said in a statement. "Neither global McDonald's nor us nor any other country had a role or relationship with that decision, neither directly nor indirectly."
McDonald’s is a global chain but its franchises are often owned locally and operate autonomously.
McDonald's Corp declined to comment but a source close to the company in the U.S. said the Israel franchise was an independent business that licensed McDonald's brand. The source said it’s not unusual for franchisees to engage with their local communities when they are in need.
Additional reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Rod Nickel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
US vetoes UN resolution calling for humanitarian pause in Israel-Hamas war
US ambassador says draft resolution did not do enough to underscore Israel’s right to self-defence.
The US was the sole vote against the resolution on Wednesday, with 12 members voting in favour and Russia and the United Kingdom abstaining.
“We are on the ground doing the hard work of diplomacy,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council after the vote. “We believe we need to let that diplomacy play out.”
The Brazil-drafted text would have condemned violence against all civilians, but the US said that it did not do enough to underscore Israel’s right to self-defence. The US has typically exercised its Security Council veto to shield Israel from critical resolutions.
“The overwhelming majority of the council, 12 countries, supported that resolution and expressed disappointment after days of negotiations and a humanitarian situation that was rapidly escalating, that the council wasn’t able to come together and offer this view, this call for calm, this call for access for humanitarians,” Al Jazeera correspondent Kristen Saloomey reported from UN headquarters in New York City.
The vote came amid soaring tensions in the region, with crowds of protesters taking to the street in several countries after a deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday drew widespread outrage. - Al-Jazeera, 18/10/2023
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