Boycott of Israel, from Morocco to Malaysia

Residents switched to local products sold by local companies. Products that were previously unable to compete are now selling well.

KOMPAS/SALOMO

Musthafa Abd Rahman

The boycott movement against products from companies that support Israel, as a show of solidarity with the people of Palestine in Gaza Strip, has achieved great success in various parts of the world, especially in the Arab and Islamic countries. Some giant companies that have successfully been boycotted include Starbucks, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and Carrefour.

Due to the boycott, Americana International's revenue only amounted to 28 million US dollars or decreased by 52 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, when it was 58.1 million US dollars.

Americana International is a management that manages fast food products in the Middle East, North Africa and Kazakhstan for the last 50 years. They operate, among others, KFC, Pizza Hut, Hardee's, Krispy Kreme, TGI Fridays, Chicken Tikka, and Chicken Wempy Burger.

In Jordan, Carrefour has decided to close up to 10 of its branches. Starbucks has also decided to close some of its branches in Amman and other cities.

Boycotts against Israel and its supporting companies that carry the symbol of American brands and other Western countries have forced these companies to decrease their production, cut working hours, and terminate the employment of their workers. It has been reported that around 15,000 employees of several restaurants from the US and Western countries in Jordan have been laid off.

AP PHOTO/BILAL HUSSEIN

A student holds a sign listing companies that are being boycotted for supporting Israel during a demonstration at the Arab Beirut University in Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday (30/4/2024).

In several cities in Jordan, popular restaurants such as KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, and Pizza Hut are very empty and often without visitors after the boycott against Israel and its supporters. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestle products are not selling and piling up in stores and restaurants. The people of Jordan choose to buy replacement products that are domestically-produced or from non-Western countries.

The success of the boycott against Israel and its supporters in Jordan is enormous and unprecedented. The solidarity of the Jordanian people with the people of Palestine in the Gaza Strip is strong and a significant factor in the success of the boycott against Israel in the country.

Also read: Boycotts Become Effective

As is known, around 30 percent of Jordan's total population of 11 million people is of Palestinian descent. Jordanian citizens now prefer to visit restaurants and shops that only sell local or other Arab country products. Local products, which previously lost out to Western products, are now very popular and have become the target of buyers in Jordan.

Employees who were laid off by Western product restaurants and stores are now moving to local restaurants and stores that have experienced extraordinary sales growth after the boycott against Israel and its supporters.

In Egypt, McDonald's sales revenue has decreased by up to 60 percent after the boycott against Israel. Despite being an idol for Egyptian citizens, McDonald's is seeing a significant decrease in its customer base since the boycott movement started.

AFP/RITZAU SCANPIX/ÓLAFUR STEINAR RYE GESTSSON

Demonstrators held up banners reading "Boycott Israel" during a demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday (5/5/2024).

A KFC restaurant in Egypt was forced to significantly reduce its production following a decline in visitors after a boycott. In December 2023, I was surprised to see a KFC restaurant in Nasr City District, Cairo, selling only a small amount of fried chicken products.

When asked, one of the employees revealed that KFC can now only sell food products in small quantities because of the lack of visitors due to the boycott against Israel. Furthermore, Pizza Hut, which has fewer visitors than McDonald's and KFC, must be even more affected in its revenue after the boycott against Israel.

Also read: Boycott of Israeli Products: Between Human Solidarity and Local Economic Impact

In Morocco and Kuwait, the boycott against Israel and its supporters has also been quite effective. Just like in Jordan and Egypt, KFC, McDonald's, and Starbucks restaurants in Morocco and Kuwait are empty of visitors. People in Morocco and Kuwait are now switching to restaurants that sell local products.

Boycotts have also spread to predominantly Muslim countries, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. In Malaysia, 108 KFC branches have been closed. Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and McDonald's have also closed some branches in Malaysia, but in smaller numbers than KFC.

Consumers in Malaysia are reducing their purchases at restaurants that sell American products, due to US support for Israel. Boycotts against American restaurants are also happening in Indonesia, although their effectiveness is not as strong as in Malaysia.

AP PHOTO/VINCENT THIAN

Customers ate near empty chairs at a McDonald's outlet in Shah Alam, Malaysia, on Sunday (28/4/2024), amidst the boycott of Israel and its supporters.

In Turkey, the parliament has removed Coca-Cola and Nestle products from the list of products sold in restaurants in Turkey. Sales of Starbucks and McDonald's in Turkey have dropped by up to 20 percent in December 2023. Now, the sales decline is expected to be even greater in Starbucks and McDonald's due to the stronger boycott against Israeli products and its supporting countries. The stock value of Starbucks and McDonald's in Turkey has also experienced a significant decline.

The Turkish government even decided to cut trade relations with Israel in early May 2024. The trade balance between Israel and Turkey in 2023 reached 6.8 billion US dollars.

The boycott movement against Israeli products and its supporting countries is currently the largest and strongest. The boycott actually occurred in 2004 and then again in 2014, but not as strong as the current boycott. The year 2004 will be recognized as the birth year of the boycott movement against Israel.

Musthafa Abd Rahman, Journalist for Kompas 1991-2022