McDonald's Acquires All Israeli Franchise Restaurants Amid Boycotts

McDonald's is buying back its 30-year-old Israel franchise from Alonyal, which owns 225 outlets employing over 5,000 people, following boycotts and protests due to the franchisee's announcement of donating free meals to the Israeli military. The company aims to ensure a positive employee and customer experience in the market going forward, as it has seen a significant business impact in several markets in the Middle East and beyond due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged the disheartening effect on sales in Middle Eastern countries and other Muslim-majority nations, and other Western fast-food chains like Starbucks and Domino's have also faced blowback over perceived ties to Israel.