The first time I saw a McDonald’s was during my first week in Egypt, back in February 2024. The familiar logo stood out, but what caught my eye was the Palestinian flag hanging by the door.
The McDonald’s logo and the Palestinian flag, in my mind, did not belong side by side, as the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) had advocated for a boycott of the American chain.
In October 2023, McDonald’s Israel offered free meals to Israeli soldiers, and a picture later surfaced of a McDonald’s paper bag, a rifle lying next to it, inside an Israeli tank in Gaza.
I walked closer to the restaurant out of curiosity and looked inside. There were no customers, just empty tables. ……more
