ADC Urges Support For Email Day Of Action On Burger King

PLEASE WRITE/EMAIL/FAX/CALL BURGER KING ON FRIDAY JULY 30 FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT
ADC asks its members and supports to join the email “day of action” proposed by the Arab-American Action Network (AAAN) and the American Freinds Service Committee (AFSC).
Their call to action reads:
Don’t Let Burger King “Have it Their Way” Oppose Burger King’s Decision to Open a Restaurant at the Israeli Ma’ale Adumim Settlement.
Visit Burger King’s website and you might be impressed by their “Corporate Diversity Statement” that says Burger King “values and respects differences in employees, consumers, franchises and business partners.” They say they want to make Burger King the “fast food restaurant choice for all consumers.” We say, “Does opening a restaurant on land confiscated from Palestinians and the Jahalin Bedouin tribe for the exclusive use by Israeli Jewish settlers fulfill these diversity goals?”
Burger King states that, “we expect our franchisees and suppliers to adopt our position when it comes to our values.” BK’s franchisee, Rikamor Ltd. must not have known about Burger King’s top management’s commitment to “diversity initiatives.”
By opening a restaurant on property illegally seized (or “spontaneously created”, according to Ma’ale Adumim founders) for the exclusive use by Israeli Jews, Burger King sends us the message that the corporation has no respect for international law, much less its commitment to diversity. Does Burger King intend to endorse the policies of the Israeli settler movement whose aim is to confiscate as much land as possible in order to prevent the self-determination of Palestinians living in the area? McDonalds doesn’t.
In fact, McDonalds-Israel owner and general manager, Omri Padan, said in an interview published in Ha’aretz (1/15/98) that, “McDonald’s-Israel neither did nor will open a branch at any Israeli settlement beyond the Green Line [the 1967 borders]. Already when I was the general manager of Kitan Textiles I told the board I would resign immediately if they move to open a plant on the West Bank. I have the privilege of not needing to compromise on my principles.”
Burger King shouldn’t compromise its principles either. With over 10,000 restaurants worldwide and serving 11.8 million customers daily, Burger King is a powerful corporation that can send an important message to its franchises: support international law; don’t open restaurants on occupied territory.
Let the CEO at Burger King, Mr. Dennis Malamatinas, know your views. Tell him how consumers want their whoppers “our way” — not served in Israeli settlements , which even the US government believes are an “obstacle to peace.”
Tell BK to show some corporate responsibility. (Like the Israeli McDonalds franchise.)
Write to:
Mr. Dennis Malamatinas
Burger King Corporation
1777 Old Cutler Road Miami,
FL 33157, USA.
Phone: 305-378-7011
Fax: 305-378-7262
email to: Malamatinas c/o Marion Hoffman,
Manager of Community Relations
[email protected]
Most of this text was prepared by Ali Abunimah,
(AAAN) and Jennifer Bing-Canar, (Chicago AFSC).