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McDonald’s Corporation has signed an agreement with Alonyal, the owner of its franchise in Israel, to buy back all its restaurants in the country. The fast food giant has faced criticism since Alonyal announced it would be offering free meals to Israeli soldiers last year, leading to protests and calls for a boycott of the business for its perceived support of Israel amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. While a global business, McDonald’s franchises are often locally owned and autonomously operated. In the wake of the backlash, McDonald's franchises in several countries, including Pakistan and Malaysia, released public statements affirming their autonomy and disassociating themselves from the Israel business. McDonald’s president and CEO, Chris Kempczinski, acknowledged that several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region have experienced a “meaningful business impact” due to the war, adding that he believes “associated misinformation” impacting the brand is “disheartening and ill-founded”. Following completion of the transaction, the terms of which were undisclosed, McDonald’s will own Alonyal’s 225 restaurants in Israel, alongside retaining more than 5,000 employees. Jo Sempels, president of international development licensed markets at McDonald’s Corporation, said: “We thank Alonyal Limited for building the McDonald’s business and brand in Israel over the past 30 years. McDonald’s remains committed to the Israeli market and to ensuring a positive employee and customer experience in the market going forward.” Omri Padan, CEO and owner of Alonyal, said: “For more than 30 years, Alonyal Limited has been proud to bring the Golden Arches to Israel and serve our communities. We’ve grown the brand to be the leading and most successful restaurant chain in Israel and are grateful to our management, employees, suppliers, and customers who made this possible. We are encouraged by what the future holds.”