Money from Saudi Arabian McDonald's helping terrorists-Fiction!

McDonald's Hamburgers has Removed Israel From Its Internet List of Locations and is Targeting Palestinians With Financial Support-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor:
This email, which claims to be from an Israeli, says that McDonald's is donating 30 cents from each meal sold in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian casualties. Additionally, the email claims that McDonald's has erased Israel from its list of countries where McDonald's restaurants are located. The email encourages a boycott of McDonald's.

The Truth:
First, Israel has not been eliminated from the list of McDonald's locations. Go to their website at www.mcdonalds.com, click the list of countries, and you'll find Israel.

Second, there has been no targeted effort on the part of McDonald's to assist Palestinians. According to McDonald's, this eRumor stems from a promotion that was conducted among the 60 McDonald's restaurants in Saudi Arabia in November, 2000. A portion of the proceeds from every Value Meal sold during the Moslem holy month of Ramadan was donated to the local Red Crescent Society, which is an affiliate of the International Red Cross, and a children's hospital in Gaza. A McDonald's statement says it is part of an ongoing commitment by McDonald's restaurants in Saudi Arabia to support worthy children's causes and that past recipients include The Society of Children with Special Needs and The Faisaliah Women's Group.

(Last updated 2/6/01)

A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

Subject: Boycotting McDonalds - very important

there are some companies that deserves to be punished, I'm talking about McDonalds. lately McDonalds announced they will donate 30 cents from each meal sold in the McDonalds restaurants located in Saudi Arabia for Palestinian casualties, but this is not the worst thing they did! in the McDonalds official site at: http://www.mcdonalds.com/ they ERASED Israelis name from the list of the countries!! you can find Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia but NO Israel!!!! McDonalds say they have restaurant locat! ions in 119 countries all over the world, so where is Israel? check out the "select country" menu. the funny thing is that the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McDonalds is a Jewish guy named Jack M. Greenberg!!
McDonalds is considering Israel to be one of the most profitable countries for them, so lets hit them where it will hurt them the most: DON'T BUY AT MCDONALDS ANYMORE!!!!
forward this to anyone at your mail list.
Oren Carmel Multimedia Designs CommerceMind, Atir Yeda St. 21, Kfar Saba, Israel. Tel:(972) 9-7642014 Fax:(972) 9-7642020 Mobile Phone: (972) 52-688100 E-mail: orenc@commercemind.com