From Civil Arab
I've been posting and talking about Burgerim for some time now, urging everyone to boycott this burger franchise. In fact, I even got the attention of Burgerim's attorneys, who sent me a cease and desist order a couple months ago. Needless to say, it didn't work. I'll get back to more of that later.
Burgerim was founded in Israel, by an Israeli. Its first location was opened in Tel Aviv and still stands there. Its current CEO is Israeli. Also, no evidence exists that this Israeli-founded, Israeli-run company or officials have ever publicly expressed either anti-Zionist sentiments or support for Palestinian equality and rights.
Now, it may be technically true that the US operations no longer have a formal, legal connection to the Israeli operations. But, of course, there would be no American Burgerim if there were no Israeli Burgerim, which proved the concept, showed market success, and imported the idea and CEO here to America. A change of address doesn't erase its ugly history.
Let me put it like it like this. If Burgerim USA were applying for a loan, Burgerim Israel would be its cosigner and chief personal reference.
Of course, Burgerim's rise was performed on stolen Palestinian land, supported by the same state that is responsible for millions of Palestinian refugees, daily home demolitions, the denial of civil rights to non-Jews, indiscriminate bombings of Palestinian neighborhoods, the jailing of Palestinian children, and more.
Maybe all of that is enough for you to boycott Burgerim. Maybe it isn't. But those are the facts. And there's a lot more.
In the letter I was furnished by Burgerim's attorneys, I was informed that "the truth is that Burgerim is not involved with Israel or any Israeli company whatsoever."
If that were true, we probably wouldn't see media outlets everywhere gushing about the connection.
A newspaper in Westchester, New York describes the company as "Israeli-based." (May 23, 2019)
The Reno Gazette Journal profiles a new location opening there, tellings its readers that, "Burgerim was founded in Israel in 2011." (June 7, 2019)
From the San Francisco Chronicle: "Israeli burger chain may soon outnumber In-N-Out locations in the Bay Area." (May 20, 2019)
A New Jersey-based website describes Burgerim as "a burger franchise that first started in Israel." (June 5, 2019)
In the Sacramento, California area, a publication lets its readers know that they can now enjoy "the Israeli burger restaurant" without "a trip to Tel Aviv." (March 22, 2017)
San Antonio, Texas: "New Israeli burger chain Burgerim now has 3 San Antonio locations."
Richmond, Virginia: "Short Pump is getting an Israeli mini burger restaurant"
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