Burger King gives up opening a branch in Israeli settlement

The campaign of pressure carried out by Arab and Islamic organizations in the US have succeeded against the Burger King Corporation in convincing it not to open a restaurant in the Ma'ale Adumim settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories.

From its headquarters in Miami, USA the company released a press statement in which it announced that it had withdrawn from its representative in Israel, Rikamor, Ltd., the right to operate a restaurant under the name Burger King in the settlement and "asked its franchisee to remove the Burger King brand from the site immediately."

The company added that its decision is because the Israeli company violated its contract by claiming that restaurant would be located inside Israel. "It had been clearly understood between the two companies that Burger King would not approve Rikamor opening restaurants in the West Bank at this sensitive time in the peace process," the statement said.

Burger King currently has 84 restaurants operating in Arab states in the Middle East, including 30 in Saudi Arabia and 31 in Kuwait, the statement said.

David Williams, president of Burger King in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the company has plans to expand in the region and enter new markets such as Jordan and Lebanon.