Recent events have brought disturbing reports to light: McDonald's franchisees in Israel have been documented providing significant quantities of free meals and support to Israeli military personnel. While McDonald's Corporation may distance itself, stating franchisees operate as independent businesses, the Golden Arches remain a global symbol. Actions taken under the McDonald's brand, anywhere in the world, reflect on the entire corporation, especially when they involve deeply controversial and sensitive conflicts.
For countless consumers globally, this association is unacceptable. The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict involves well-documented human rights concerns and immense suffering. Providing support, even if localized by a franchisee, to military forces engaged in actions that cause civilian harm and displacement raises serious ethical questions for a global brand like McDonald's.
Our conscience dictates that our consumer choices should not align with or appear to endorse military operations linked to human rights controversies. We believe McDonald's Corporation has a responsibility to ensure its brand is not used in ways that alienate or offend millions of customers worldwide who advocate for peace and justice. Silence or inaction in the face of these franchisee actions can be interpreted as tacit approval.
We, the undersigned, demand that McDonald's Corporation take immediate and concrete steps to address this issue:
Issue a Clear Corporate Stance: Publicly clarify McDonald's Corporation's global policy on providing support to any military forces involved in active conflicts, ensuring consistency with international human rights principles.
Enforce Brand Standards Globally: Implement and enforce clear guidelines for all franchisees worldwide, prohibiting actions under the McDonald's brand that could be construed as partisan support for military forces in sensitive conflicts, particularly where there are significant human rights concerns.
Demand Franchisee Accountability: Hold the relevant franchisees accountable for actions that have damaged the global brand's reputation among consumers concerned with human rights and neutrality.
Commit to Neutrality: Demonstrate a clear corporate commitment to neutrality in political conflicts and uphold universally recognized human rights standards across all global operations and associations.
Your signature sends a powerful message: Consumers demand ethical conduct and corporate responsibility. It tells McDonald's Corporation that associating its brand with military actions in this context is unacceptable and harmful.
Join us: Sign this petition, share it widely, and participate in the consumer boycott of McDonald's. Let's use our collective power to demand that McDonald's aligns its global brand image with principles of neutrality and respect for human rights, not with military conflict.
