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Burger King is in a pickle over West Bank
franchise that U.S. Arabs protested.
urger King Corp. says it has
pulled its name from an
Israeli franchise in the West
Bank town of Ma'aleh
Adumim for breach of contract.
But some Jewish leaders — as well
as Arab American and Muslim
American groups — believe the
Miami-based burger chain made the
decision under heat from a threatened
worldwide boycott.
The conflict may foreshadow an
era in which Arab and Muslim groups
in America represent a significant lob-
bying force on the Middle East.
Burger King argues that its move
was based on a "technical reason,"
said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive
vice chairman of the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations, an umbrella group.
But, he said, "That's not how it will
be perceived."
The decision to pull the Burger
King brand from the West Bank fran-
chise came two days after the Arab
League announced it would vote next
month on whether to declare a boy-
cott against the fast food company.
Meshulam Riklis, the Israeli-born
franchise owner, meanwhile, has said
he'll continue to sell trademarked
Burger King menu items and keep
the restaurant open.
For its part, Burger King said in a
statement that it canceled the right of
Riklis' company to use the Burger
King brand in Ma'aleh Adumim
because Rikamor Ltd. had falsely said
the outlet would be located in a food
court in Israel.
"It had been clearly understood
between the two companies that
Burger King would not approve
Rikamor opening restaurants in the
West Bank at this sensitive time in
the peace process," the statement says.
Morton Klein, national president
of the Zionist Organization of
America, said Burger King is taking a
"pro-Arab position."
"They are in effect saying that the
Jews of Ma'aleh Adumim should have
no American businesses to service
them, so in a sense they are cooperat-
ing with Arabs' desire to freeze out
Jews who live in Judea and Samaria."
According to Burger King, Rikamor
twice said that it would close the
counter, but did not follow through.
Burger King said the food counter
could remain open, but the company
could no longer involve the Burger
King brand "at this time."
The controversy points to the
developing political savvy and organi-
zation of Arab American and Muslim
American groups.
A coalition of Muslim - groups —
led by the five-month-old American
Muslims for Jerusalem and joined by
the American Muslim Council and
the Arab American Institute, among a
dozen others — waged a public rela-
tions campaign against Burger King,
using e-mail as well as the traditional
street demonstration.
The nondenominational American
Friends Service Committee indepen-
dently launched a two-day e-mail
campaign, which it says reached
20,000 people.
Last year, Arab American groups, as
well as groups such as the Chicago-
based American Friends Committee and
the Israeli group Gush Shalom, protest-
ed against an American ice cream com-
pany because its Israeli franchise had
purchased mineral water from an Israeli
supplier in the Golan Heights.
The Israeli licensee canceled its
contract with the water company,
Mei Eden. •
Faced with criticism by American
Jewish groups, however, Ben & Jerry's
Ice Cream denied that it was acqui-
escing to groups who were calling for
a boycott of its Israeli product.
In the Burger King flame-up, the
coalition of Muslim groups held an
Aug. 5 news conference at which it
called for a global boycott. The
announcement was covered in the
major Arab-language media and led
to e-mail campaigns and a one-day
demonstration at restaurants in the
United States.
Compared to 20 or even 10 years
ago, today the Arab-American corn-
munity is "an organized constituency"
that is "self-identified and has an
agenda and has an awareness of its
ability to act" on issues of concern,
"domestic and international, local and