Why Does Starbucks Have No Branches in Israel?

Starbucks, an American coffee chainis at the top of the boycott lists for Palestine. Moreover, these boycotts have even reached the point of physical interventions against those sitting and working in the branches.

In Turkey Starbucks has 663 branches One of the Middle Eastern countries where it has no branches is Israel. Don’t you think this is a bit surprising, with the boycott being the focal point? Let’s take a look at why.

Starbucks is a company founded by three friends in the USA in 1971.

In this sector, which three friends named Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl started as a small but ambitious enterprise, without realizing it, they are now the world’s leading companies. They created the big coffee chain. But the person who played the main role in the growth of the company was Howard Schultz. Schultz is a key figure in Starbucks’ modern success story. After experiencing the coffee culture in Italy in the early 1980s, he came together with the founders of Starbucks and came up with the idea.

At first, Starbucks operated as a store selling only coffee beans and ingredients. However, Schultz was influenced by the cafe culture he saw in Italy.came up with the idea of ​​bringing the coffee drinking experience to a café atmosphere.

Starbucks’ founders were not keen on this idea.

Howard Schultz

Despite these obstacles, Schultz bought the company over time and became the head of Starbucks, enabling the company to expand and become a global coffee brand. The company, which developed under his leadership, is now number one in the world.. In fact, the focus of criticism begins with Schultz.. Because he is a Jewish businessman.

So first of all why? Starbucks boycott became the focus? Has a statement been made publicly that he supports Israel?

The most important factor in the formation of this idea is that its founder is of Jewish origin.

Howard Schultz’s Jewish origin In addition to this, the USA’s close attitude towards Israel in the Israel-Palestine War are the reasons that sparked these phenomena. Another reason was Starbucks’ announcement that it would take legal steps against the “Starbucks Employees Union”, which shared messages of support to the Palestinians.

Let us briefly recall this incident. Starbucks employees on October 9 is in ‘Workers United’, He sent a message of solidarity to Palestine. Following this incident, Starbucks filed a lawsuit against the union, claiming that it damaged the company’s image and caused anger among customers.

This incident had wide repercussions around the world, especially in the US press.

Starbucks Executive Vice President Sara Kellymade a statement regarding the union’s post containing a message of support for Palestine. The following statements were made in the statement published on the company’s website on October 11:

“Our valued business partner, as the leadership team, we would like to once again express our sincere condolences to the innocent people who lost their lives, were injured, were displaced and were affected by the terrible acts of terrorism and increased violence and hatred in Israel and Gaza this week. Starbucks publicly condemns hate, terrorism and acts of violence.”

Starbucks, founder Howard Schultz He denies the allegations that he provides financial support to Israel with the following statement on his official website:

“This is absolutely false information. Starbucks or Howard, Rumors that he provides financial support to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli army are absolutely untrue.. Because Starbucks is a publicly traded company, it must disclose corporate donations each year through a proxy statement.”

The branch Starbucks opened in Israel existed between 2001 and 2003.

The reason why there are no Starbucks branches in Israel is the company’s ongoing operational difficulties. Today Starbucks has no active branches operating in Israel.

Starbucks has chosen to manage its rapidly increasing branches around the world regionally. Middle East region, including Turkey; Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and even North Africa, It belongs to Alshaya Group.

Kuwait-based Alshaya Grouphas been operating as a business partner of Starbucks since 1999. Starbucks branches in Turkey are actually managed by this group and receive financial support from it.

It is said that the first Starbucks branch in Israel was boycotted and closed after it could not make a profit because it was based in Kuwait.

Allegedly, Starbucks is operating in Israel in order not to lose the market in other Arab countries. Withdrew from Israel. However, Starbucks argues that its decision not to open a branch in Israel is not a political reason.

According to the company, the main reason stems from the company’s incompatibility with Israel’s coffee culture. So the reason is purely taste! Considering the news in the Israeli media, no Starbucks It’s more about their eating and drinking habits than a political reason.

Hundreds of thousands of partners and managers around the world have various views on different issues. Regardless of this diversity of beliefs, Starbucks has always been an apolitical organization It reiterates that it will continue its basic principle impartially.