McDonald’s said it was experiencing a ‘significant’ hit to its business as customers in the Middle East and elsewhere boycotted the company over its alleged support for Israel.
CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged this in a post on LinkedIn, and said he believed it was the result of “misinformation.”
He is the second head of a major American company to face the problem of business losses caused by war tensions between Israel and Gaza.
Starbucks is also among the companies affected by the events in Palestine.
“Several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are experiencing a significant business blow due to the war and related misinformation affecting brands like McDonald’s,” Kempczinski wrote in a message, reports the BBC.
“This is discouraging and unfounded. In every country where we operate, including Muslim countries, McDonald’s is proudly represented by local operators,” he said.
McDonald’s relies on hundreds of independent companies to own and operate most of its more than 40,000 stores worldwide. About one percent of them are located in the Middle East.
