ANOTHER popular FnB (food and beverage) franchise is set to feel the ire of Malaysian pro-Palestine boycotters after images purportedly showing Dunkin’ Donuts selling “Israeli-themed donuts”.
A post by netizen @Januarhaikal on X (formerly Twitter) shows images of confectionaries adorned with the ‘Star of David’. The post does not say which outlet was selling these items or whether it was in all franchises.
It’s tie to say goodbye to Dunkin’ Donuts. I will definitely miss you peanut butter jelly donuts, but solidarity with my brother and sisters in Palestine is way more important.
You have decided to pick your side and so do i.#Boycottdunkindonuts pic.twitter.com/oP7WU7lyzT
— Januar Haikal (@Januarhaikal) January 3, 2024
It has, however, generated over 1.1 million views with many netizens expressing their solidarity with Palestine in the on-going Israel-Hamas conflict and will now shun the brand.
One netizen did pose a pertinent question on whether the boycott should be or all stores or just the ones allegedly selling these doughnuts.
However, one does wonder if the cream piping was just the work of a novice pastry maker who was just attempting to do a simple star design with no reference whatsoever to the Jewish state.
It is one thing to boycott brands that openly support Israel, it is quite another to punish brands for inadvertently adorning their product with a blue star.
Dunkin’ Donuts Malaysia has yet to make a statement regarding the above claim at the time of writing. At any rate, @Januarhaikal has in an update, further identified one more donut brand, Krispy Kreme, whose owners are said to be “staunch Zionists”.
UPDATE:
Goodbye Krispy Kreme. We are not going to support brands that endorse killing children and women.https://t.co/GRmIw9hyOG pic.twitter.com/mWjKysBROO
— Januar Haikal (@Januarhaikal) January 4, 2024
On the contrary, @Januarhaikal reckoned that it’s time for home-grown Big Apple Malaysia and Indonesian-owned JCO Donuts to shine now that two of their competitors have been eliminated. – Jan 5, 2024
✨Big Apple donuts and Jco donuts, It’s time for you to shine✨
Big Apple Malaysia was established in Malaysia in 2007 and later acquired in 2017 by Duskin Co. Ltd. a public listed company in Japan, while JCO Donuts is proudly Indonesian.
🍩Malaysia 🇲🇾🤝🇮🇩 Indonesia🍩 pic.twitter.com/OOxK8pLGZ5
— Januar Haikal (@Januarhaikal) January 3, 2024
