Chris Kempczinski, President and Chief Executive Officer at McDonald’s Corporation, took to LinkedIn to mention that McDonald’s had experienced a “meaningful business impact”.
After the war in Gaza broke out, reports said that McDonald’s in Israel had sent meals for IDF soldiers. This caused widespread outrage online, with several calls for boycott of the brand.
In the LinkedIn post, Kempczinski said, “I also recognise that several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are experiencing a meaningful business impact due to the war and associated misinformation that is affecting brands like McDonald’s.”
“Our hearts remain with the communities and families impacted by the war in the Middle East. We abhor violence of any kind and firmly stand against hate speech, and we will always proudly open our doors to everyone,” he added.
He clarified by saying that the fast food chain is “represented by local owner operators” that “support their communities”.
The death toll in Gaza has reached 22,438 – almost 1 per cent of its 2.3 million population, the health ministry said.
