McDonald’s Malaysia sues BDS group over Israel boycott calls

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — McDonald’s Malaysia has sued a pro-Palestinian group for $1.3 million over its calls to boycott companies allegedly supporting Israel.

In a statement issued Friday, the fast-food chain said the civil suit against BDS Malaysia was aimed at protecting “our rights and interests in accordance with the law.”

McDonald’s says it “does not support nor condone the current conflict in the Middle East.”

“While we understand and respect that the act of boycotting is an individual decision, we believe that it should be based on facts and not false allegations,” McDonald’s says.

McDonald’s has sought six million ringgit ($1.3 million) in damages for alleged defamation, according to a copy of the legal document seen by AFP.

In a post on the social media platform X on Friday, BDS Malaysia said “we categorically deny this” alleged defamation.

BDS Malaysia is part of the global, anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, which was launched by Palestinian civil society organizations in 2005.

In response to the Israel-Hamas war, BDS Malaysia intensified calls for Malaysians to boycott Western brands, including McDonald’s, KFC and Zara, that it alleges are “complicit with Israeli atrocities towards Palestinians.”