SHAH ALAM - In the pursuit of advocating for Palestinian rights, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement strategically targets companies aligned with Israel, aiming to foster a broader understanding of the Palestinian struggle among the public.
BDS Chairman Professor Dr Mohd Nazari Ismail highlighted the sentiments arising from boycotts, especially regarding companies like McDonald's during a recent podcast session titled THE PALESTINIAN DIARIES: Boycott Disinvest Sanction Companies Explicitly Involved with Israel [Episode 8].
He shared insights into public reactions, quoting concerns raised such as, 'Does McDonald's Malaysia have connections with Israel?'
"Allow me to clarify: the BDS strategy deliberately focuses on a select number of firms, seeking to exert pressure on companies complicit in activities associated with Israel.
"Our objective isn't to compile an extensive but forgettable list.
"Rather, we aim for lasting impact; hence, we meticulously choose a few firms," he said.
However, he acknowledged the varying in opinions, acknowledging that while some advocate for a comprehensive boycott of all entities, the movement's approach centres on effectiveness.
"As BDS, our focus remains on educating the public about these critical concerns through our targeted approach, ensuring that the significance of these issues isn't diluted within an extensive but disregarded list of boycotted entitie," he said.
Nazari listed criterias relavant to the BDS movemnet with firstly being a high profile - one that people to ensure that the boycott is worth being talked about. Puma, he said was very well-know brand and at the same time there complicit the Israeli Occupation in Palestine.
He said football clubs were mushrooming across Israel including football teams in the West Bank which was a clear breach of international law as they illegally occupying the land, and Puma was was the main sponsor for the Israel Football Association funding these illegal football teams.
These teams are playing in the Champions League, he said, which was wrong according to international law and should be condemed by the FIFA, the international football association.
HP, Hewlett-Packard, was another company that should be boycott as they were notorious for its direct involvement in the Israeli occupation, providing the Israeli regime with technologies of surveillance and control used in the occupied Palestinian territory.
"It is easier for people to participate in the boycott as there are many alterntaives to HP and Puma. BDS prefers to foucs on a few brands so that people can easily remember on what to avoid but now with the current situation, we not only advise to boycott Puma, HP as well as Caterpillar (world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines) but also have expanded the list such as McDonald's as they have been directly complicit by providing meals for the Israeli force," he said.
Nazari said although McDonalds Malaysia was not directly involved with the McDonald's in Israel, they should be showing some effort to voice of out against the astrocities being done to the Palestinians.
He said McDonald headquarters in the United States should condemn the actions of McDonald Israel as they providing free meals theIsraeli military who are killing the people of Palestine.
"Feeding the killers, so now that is direct complicity," he said.
He stated that McDonald Malaysia should communicate with us, the BDS, and also release a statement that they condemn the acts of the US for keeping quiet and Israel's free meals as this would help reduce the people's anger towards them.