McDonald’s Malaysia drops lawsuit against pro-Palestinian boycott group

“We hope that the decision made today will allow all parties to move forward and focus on finding a resolution that upholds justice,” McDonald’s Malaysia managing director Azmir Jaafar said in a statement.

Since Jerusalem launched a deadly assault on Gaza in October, Malaysian consumers have rallied behind a call by the local arm of the global boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) movement against brands seen to have links with Israel, causing many of those companies to incur financial losses.

McDonald’s became a target of the boycott movement following viral social media posts showing videos of McDonald’s in Israel donating free food to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in the wake of the October 7 Hamas incursion into Israeli territory.

Gerbang Alaf Restaurants had previously justified its lawsuit by arguing that the movement had slandered its business and implied it had profited from the assault on Palestinians and conspired with Israel.

McDonald’s Malaysia says that they “do not support nor are we complicit in any conflicts or wars”, and that it stands by its commitment as a wholly Muslim-owned business towards transparency, ethical business practices and social responsibility.

“We firmly condemn all forms of violence and pray for an end to the war and continued peace,” Azmir said in his Friday statement, adding that McDonald’s Malaysia continues to support Palestinians through its contribution to the Palestine Humanitarian Fund and various employee fundraising initiatives in support of relief efforts in Gaza.

The October 7 raid led to the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis, with scores more taken hostage into Gaza. In retaliation, the IDF has obliterated most of Gaza in the last five months, killing over 30,000 people – most of