McDonald’s Faces Boycott in Morocco Over Perceived Israel Support

Tough times for the Moroccan company First Rest International, which has owned McDonald’s since 1992 in the kingdom. Accused of supporting the Israeli army in its current offensive in the Gaza Strip, the brand is the target of a boycott campaign that seems to be working, reports Le Desk, explaining that in Morocco, the image of "MacDo" is now "irrevocably linked to Washington’s support for Tel Aviv". "We have noticed a drop in attendance," testifies a young server working in one of the country’s McDonald’s restaurants, on a highway rest area.

Faced with the situation, the brand has opted for "aggressive" communication. In this sense, it has solicited the expertise of public relations agencies since October. The company is "100% Moroccan, with 100% Moroccan capital, which employs 5,300 Moroccan employees and creates several thousand indirect jobs," the franchise specifies in its communication. In a video broadcast on various channels, it uses elements of empathy but also promotional elements. An employee is heard saying he is "saddened by every civilian life lost in Gaza". The media may faithfully reproduce a false interview asking McDonald’s to respond to "unfounded questions and rumors," under the same title: "Still faithful to our community for over 30 years" for remuneration and purchase of spaces, but the mayonnaise is struggling to take. Moroccans are playing the card of mistrust.

In Israel, a McDonald’s franchise managed by the company Alonyal Limited had distributed 12,000 meals to Israeli soldiers, as well as to hospitals hard hit by the surprise and spectacular attack by Hamas on October 7, reported the RTS.ch website in October. This gesture had provoked the anger of neighboring Arab countries. "The franchises in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Persian Gulf countries have published statements in which they distanced themselves from the actions of their Israeli counterparts," reported the Washington Post.