EFF welcomes McDonald’s South Africa’s response to the EFF demands to distance themselves from McDonald’s Israel

25 October 2023

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) welcomes the letter from McDonald's South Africa in response to the demand by the EFF that the franchise distances itself from the heinous acts by McDonald's Israel, which has been providing free food to Israeli soldiers to commit a genocide against Palestinians.

On the 23rd of October 2023, the EFF held a picket outside of the Israeli Embassy, wherein the Commander in Chief and President of the EFF Julius Malema demanded that McDonald's South Africa distances itself from its counterpart in Israel, for its participation in sustaining the ethnic cleansing, colonial invasion and murder of Palestinian people.

Subsequent to this, the EFF wrote a letter to McDonald's South Africa, reiterating this demand and giving a comprehensive background and context of the war on Palestinians. We highlighted the shared historical experiences between South Africa and Palestine of land dispossession and Apartheid policies, as well as the role of international solidarity in our freedom, and the role it could play in the freedom of Palestinians.

We are pleased that McDonald's South Africa responded positively to this demand and effectively distanced themselves from the feeding of the Israeli soldiers of genocide, in a letter written to the EFF on the 24th of October 2023.

In this letter McDonald's South Africa states that "We are not affiliated with McDonald's operations in Israel, which is a locally owned Israeli enterprise. McDonald's Israel operates as a separate entity to McDonald's South Africa, and makes its own business and communications decisions, independent of our business in South Africa."

In addition to this response, McDonald's South Africa outlined to the EFF its various initiatives to uplift the local economy, create jobs, and foster diversity in their business model. The EFF applauds McDonald's South Africa for its positive response and their willingness to interact with stakeholders within South Africa without arrogance or disrespect.

We call on Woolworths South Africa, which the EFF has demanded to remove all Israeli products from their retail outlets, to follow suit and have an appreciation of the common need to isolate Apartheid Israel and not form part of funding an inhumane and cruel war against Palestinian people. The EFF has given Woolworths South Africa until the *31st of October 2023* to respond, and it is our hope that they respond positively.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 25 October 2023