KUWAIT CITY, Aug 21: The boycott of certain restaurants and brands that support Israel has become a key tool for those standing in solidarity with Gaza. According to experts, this campaign is crucial to curbing financial support for companies linked to the Zionist entity. Since the outbreak of the war, the boycott has reportedly cost well-known companies over $50 billion in losses. This sentiment resonates strongly in Kuwait, where people are determined to continue the boycott as a means of expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Sources revealed to Al-Seyassah that the ongoing boycott by Kuwait and the wider Arab and Islamic world against restaurants and companies supporting Israel has led to losses exceeding $50 billion since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza until mid-2024. As evidence, a manager of a well-known restaurant stated that a prominent international chain operating under a “franchise” system suffered losses of no less than $7 billion in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

Muhammad Al-Furaih, the former head of the Food Specifications Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Food Security Advisor, emphasizes the importance of continuing the popular boycott of establishments that back the Israeli entity. He highlighted Kuwait’s strong stance in support of the Palestinian people and noted that the boycott has already inflicted billions of dollars in losses on Israel. Al-Furaih expressed hope that the boycott will extend to all international companies and restaurants with branches worldwide, urging these nations to reconsider their support for the Zionist entity. In his view, the economic boycott remains the only effective weapon for the Arab people at this time.

Economic expert and former Municipal Council member, Abdullah Al-Roumi, echoed these sentiments in a statement to Al-Seyassah, urging the continuation of the economic boycott against any products in Kuwait where profits benefit Israel. Al-Roumi stressed that every purchase from international franchise restaurants equates to funding a bullet against the Palestinian people. He advocates for prioritizing Kuwaiti restaurants and products, which not only supports the Palestinian cause but also bolsters Kuwait’s economy.

Al-Roumi also dispelled misconceptions about international franchise operations, pointing out that the idea that such restaurants do not benefit the Zionist entity is incorrect. He explained that franchising involves granting the rights to use a brand’s trademark, ensuring the same level of service and quality, in exchange for a percentage of the profits paid to the parent company. This is a common practice in the restaurant industry.

Al-Roumi questioned whether it is realistic to believe any company could use a famous international logo without paying fees to the original brand owner. He further explained that the first well-known franchise restaurant was launched in 1955 and saw significant success as it expanded globally in the following decades. By the early 1970s, the brand had transformed into multiple companies operating worldwide under franchise agreements. Today, this famous restaurant chain has approximately 50,000 branches globally, underscoring the wide reach of such entities.

Prominent voices in Kuwait are intensifying calls for a boycott of restaurants and products linked to companies that support Israel. Writer Osama Al-Thuwaini also underscored the necessity of continuing the boycott, citing its profound impact on the adversaries of the Islamic world. He pointed out that capitalist nations are highly motivated by profit, making economic pressure one of the most effective means of influencing their policies. Al-Thuwaini argued that the most potent weapons against countries supporting the Zionist entity -- especially the United States -- are Gulf oil resources and the billions of dollars invested in the American market. Al-Thuwaini called for halting any business ties between Kuwait and the United States as long as it continues to back Israel. He emphasized that America and the Zionist entity are closely intertwined, with the ongoing massacre in Gaza over the past ten months made possible through American military, financial, and political support.

By Najeh Bilal
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff