McDonald’s Malaysia, pro-Palestinian group BDS seek mediation over boycott Israel campaign

Lawyers for McDonald’s in Malaysia sought a settlement on Monday from the boycott Israel movement, a lawyer said, after the fast-food chain brought a US$1.27 million lawsuit against the consumer campaign group for alleging links between it and Israel’s armed forces.

Gerbang Alaf Restaurants, the Malaysian licence holder of the fast-food chain, claimed the Malaysian arm of the boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) movement against Israel, incited the public to boycott its business, leading to losses of income, job cuts and other damage amounting to 6 million ringgit (US$1.27 million).

Monday’s mediation hearing at a Kuala Lumpur court was the first hearing in an attempt to reach a deal to avoid a long civil suit filed against BDS Malaysia last December.

BDS Malaysia, through its lawyer Reza Hassan, said he could not elaborate on the details of the ongoing mediation, but added the process was “very positive”.

“It hinges on one or two things only,” Reza said, stressing that the details were confidential.

Representatives from McDonald’s, meanwhile, did not speak to the press. Both parties will reconvene on April 30 to continue the discussion.

But in its writ of summons, McDonald’s Malaysia stated that the movement had slandered its business and implied it had profited from the assault on Palestinians and conspired with Israel.

This came after social media was flooded with videos of McDonald’s in Israel donating free food to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion into Israeli territory.

That raid killed 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 them