United States-based brands like McDonald's and Starbucks are the latest victims of an anti-Israel boycott sweeping the Middle East in response to the invasion of the Gaza Strip.
A report published Thursday by Reuters examined the state of popular American stores throughout Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and Morocco, finding that many are abandoned, short-staffed, or temporarily closed.
"No one is buying these products," said Ahmad al-Zaro, a Jordanian cashier at a supermarket in Amman. He said customers are purchasing local brands.
Reuters noted that pro-boycott demonstrators in Jordan sometimes enter McDonald's and Starbucks branches to encourage customers to take their business elsewhere.
Still, participation in the boycott has hit the region unevenly. It has only slightly affected Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which recently engaged in peace talks with Israel.
"I feel that even if I know this will not have a massive impact on the war, then this is the least we can do as citizens of different nations, so we don't feel like our hands are covered in blood," shared Reham Hamed, an Egyptian boycotting U.S. products.
It's unclear if the boycott calls against Starbucks and McDonald's have damaged the companies financially.
Newsweek cited Google Finance data last week showing that Starbucks' share price increased nearly 13% over the past month. McDonald's stock was up nearly 8% over the past month.
The boycotts come due to Israel's strong alliance with the U.S., which has been supportive of Israel's retaliatory campaign against the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in response to the terrorist group's deadly Oct. 7 attack.
Israeli officials estimate that about 1,200 people were killed by Hamas in the attack, including hundreds of civilians and over 270 soldiers. Another 247 people were taken hostage.
U.S. brands have tried to navigate the waters carefully since the conflict broke out.
While McDonald's has attempted to stay as neutral as possible, other brands like Starbucks attempted to crack down on pro-Hamas sentiment.
The company recently issued a cease-and-desist letter to Starbucks Workers United, its employee union, for using Starbucks' logo in online content supportive of the terrorist group, Breitbart reported.
Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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