McDonald’s announced Thursday it will purchase the franchise rights to 225 restaurants in Israel as boycotts against the chain continue.
The company is buying the franchises from Alonyal Ltd., which operates them in Israel and employs around 5,000 people.
The transfer of ownership will take place over the coming months, Alonyal said, and McDonald’s plans to retain all current restaurant employees. The terms of the sale have not been disclosed.
McDonald’s has been subjected to boycotts from anti-Israel groups since the Oct. 7 terrorist massacre after Alonyal announced it would provide free meals to members of the Israeli military.
While McDonald’s has been only marginally hurt overall by the boycott, CEO Chris Kempczinski said in January the company noticed a meaningful dent in sales in the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Other U.S. chains like Starbucks have faced similar boycotts over their alleged pro-Israel stance and financial ties to the country.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.