August 11, 1999
Web posted at: 11:08 p.m. EDT (0308 GMT)

In this story: Boycott criticized, ignored RELATED STORIES, SITES

MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank (Reuters) -- Denouncing an Arab and Muslim call for an international boycott of Burger King as "a big mistake," the mayor of Maale Adumim, Israel's largest settlement in the West Bank, said the action would serve only to hamper relations between Israelis and Palestinians.

The restaurant is located on land seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War.

"I think it is a big mistake to try and boycott Burger King, Mayor Benny Kashriel said, "because we are doing our shopping in the nearby Palestinian market, and they are coming here to our market. And this is the best thing for peace between the two nations."

Israel and the Palestinians are discussing the possibility of resuming talks aimed toward a permanent peace agreement and a final disposition of West Bank territory, some of which is already under Palestinian rule.

Khalid Turaani, executive director of the U.S.-based American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ), leader of a coalition of ten organizations, including the Arab American Institute and the Palestinian American Congress, said the groups supported the boycott, because the retail outlet is situated on "stolen land."

The U.S. fast food giant released a statement that said, "Burger King takes this matter extremely seriously and is working diligently with its Israeli franchisee to resolve the situation with the utmost sense of urgency."

A call for a boycott of Burger King was issued because Maale Adumim was settled on land seized by Israel in the 1967 war

Turaani said the boycott was needed because of Burger King's disappointing response to letters, several hundred e-mail messages and phone calls explaining the concerns of the Muslim community and requesting that the new restaurant be closed.

A Burger King spokeswoman in the corporation's Miami offices said it was too early to say whether the boycott was having any effect. Representatives of the company in Israel declined to comment.

Settlers welcomed Burger King to Maale Adumim and called the boycott unfortunate.

"We shouldn't involve political opinion with food or other such things," said Orna Makov from Kfar Adumim, another West Bank Jewish settlement, as she walked away with four bags of food for her four children. "I'm very fond of Burger King."

First time diner Aryeh Blumberg, a plumber from Maale Adumim, said he came to protest the boycott.

"I tried it because the Arabs said we're not allowed to buy here," Blumberg said. "But it brings jobs to Maale Adumim. It brings peace and industry. It's very good."

Jewish settlers, including Mayor Kashriel, have flocked to the restaurant since it opened. It is closed on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, and conforms to Jewish, not Muslim dietary laws.

Burger King has more than 10,000 restaurants worldwide, including outlets in the Middle Eastern countries of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

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