McDonalds Malaysia Sues Boycott Calls Against Israel Claiming To Hurt Its Business Sentiments
McDonald’s Malaysia has sued boycott movement against Israel claiming the protests hurting its business sentiments with “false and defamatory statements”. Reuters news agency reported the Malaysian franchise of the fast-food restaurant said the boycott Israel movement has caused them damages amounting to 6 million ($1.31 million).
The licensee of Malaysia’s McDonalds, Gerbang Alaf Restaurant Sdn Bhd (GAR) is suing the Boycott, Divestment,Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia movement for the series of social media postings that allegedly link the fast food franchise among the other companies to the Israel’s “genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza”.
The McDonald’s Malaysia confirmed about filing complaint against the BDS Malaysia movement to protect its “right and interests”. BDS Malaysia said they “categorically denies” the claim of defaming the fast-food company and would the matter to the court.
BDS is a movement, which is established in 2005 by a coalition of Palestinian civil society group. Though it was banned in many of US and Canadian campuses and at least 35 states in the US, the movement has seen global interest. It seeks international support for what it calls Israeli apartheid and settler colonialism. The movement uphold the principle that “Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity”.
The BDS aims to make the boycotts effective by focusing on certain selected companies and products that have direct participation in Israel’s policies against Palestinians. The BDS campaigns are divided into four categories. Consumer Boycotts, which is boycotting of brands that have proven record complicity in abuses against Palestine. Divestments, which is pressuring the government and institutions to stop doing business with companies that enable the occupation of Israelis on Palestinian lands. Third division of their campaign is Pressure, which is calls for people and institutions to mount pressure on brands and services to end their complicity in abuses against Palestinians. Another division is organic boycott, which calls for grassroot boycotts of brands that openly supports Israeli violence against Palestinians.
Earlier, one of the founders of BDS, Omer Bargouhti, said told Al Jazeera that the current boycott against McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and other companies are coming from organic boycott campaigns which are not initiated by the BDS movement and added that the boycott spree against these companies raised from their open support and generous donations to the Israeli military during their offensive on the innocent Palestinian civilians.
