Short answer: As of July 2026, yes, with one important distinction. Burger King in Israel is run by a locally owned franchise, and that franchise has openly stood with Israel: during the war that began in October 2023 it donated thousands of free meals to IDF soldiers and posted about it publicly. The Israeli operation is majority-owned (roughly 93%) by Delek Israel, a fuel and retail company controlled by Avi Levy and Eli Lahav, which acquired it in 2022. Global Burger King corporate (Restaurant Brands International, based in Canada and the United States) keeps no offices, research and development, or corporate donations in Israel and has stayed neutral. The pro-Israel gestures came from the local franchisee, not from headquarters. And despite viral "boycott list" claims, Burger King is not an official BDS target.
What the record actually shows
Burger King's history in Israel goes back more than three decades, and it has been anything but a straight line. Here is the dated, sourced record.
- 1993: Burger King first enters Israel, initially owned by Yair Hasson, Meshulam Riklis, and Kamor Motors. The network grows to roughly 50-plus restaurants over the following years (Burger King Israel, Wikipedia).
- Summer 2010: Burger King exits Israel. The franchise owner, Orgad Holdings, having acquired the local chain Burger Ranch (Burgeranch), converts all remaining Burger King branches to Burger Ranch, ending the brand's first Israeli run (Wikipedia).
- February 1, 2016: Burger King returns after a six-year absence, opening its first new branch at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv under a franchise group led by French businessman Pierre Besnainou (Jewish Telegraphic Agency).
- 2022: Delek Israel, the fuel and retail company controlled by Avi Levy and Eli Lahav, buys the Israeli Burger King franchise from Besnainou, taking an approximately 93% majority stake (Wikipedia). This is the key ownership fact: the name is global, but the operation is majority Israeli-owned, so profits and jobs stay largely in Israel.
- October 2023: The Israeli franchise donates thousands of free meals to IDF soldiers and posts photos on Instagram, with a caption about going out "to strengthen the nation Israel" and "donating thousands of meals to our heroes." The gesture triggered pro-Palestinian boycott calls (Newsweek).
- August 2025: Amid heavy financial losses (about NIS 15 million, roughly $4.5 million, in 2024) and negative equity, Burger King Israel closes its flagship Tel Aviv branch on Ibn Gabirol Street and shifts toward neighborhood and delivery locations (Ynetnews).
- May 7, 2026: Under Delek ownership, Burger King Israel operates about 18 branches from Ramon to Haifa (six of them open on Shabbat) and announces an expansion plan, with the CEO stating a ten-year goal of more than 100 branches (The Jerusalem Post).
Notice what is and is not in that record. There is a real, long-running Israeli presence, majority Israeli ownership, and a concrete pro-Israel act (feeding soldiers during a war). There is no evidence of global corporate offices, research centers, or headquarters-level donations tied to Israel. The support was local, and it came while the franchise itself was losing money.
Where the boycott talk comes from
If you have seen Burger King on a "companies to boycott" graphic, it helps to know where that came from. The pressure started in October 2023, when the Israeli franchise's free meals for soldiers went viral and prompted angry calls to boycott the brand (Newsweek).
Here is the part the viral posts usually leave out. The BDS movement's own guidance says Burger King, McDonald's, Domino's, and similar chains are targeted by "grassroots organic boycott campaigns, not initiated by the BDS movement." In plain terms, Burger King is not one of BDS's official priority targets (BDS Movement official guide, corroborated by Time). The campaign was organic and social-media-driven, endorsed by BDS but not launched by it. So the common claim that Burger King sits "on the official BDS list" is simply inaccurate.
The bottom line
Burger King operates in Israel through an Israeli-owned franchise that has publicly stood with Israel, most visibly by feeding IDF soldiers for free during the war. That gesture drew organic boycott calls, but Burger King is not an official BDS target, and the pro-Israel actions were the local franchisee's, not global corporate policy. For a shopper asking "does Burger King support Israel?", the honest read is straightforward: the Israeli franchise clearly does, while the global brand is neutral and simply licenses the name. It is worth remembering that the franchise has been under real financial strain, which makes its choice to give away thousands of meals all the more notable.
Support Israel directly
A fast-food chain's stance can shift with its owners and its balance sheet, and the "global brand versus local franchise" split makes it hard to know exactly where your money lands. If you want your dollars to back Israel with no ambiguity, the most direct route is to buy from Israeli makers and openly pro-Israel brands. Our Support Israel collection brings together apparel, jewelry, and gifts made to stand proudly with Israel and the IDF, so every purchase is a clear vote for the people and the country, not a licensing agreement you have to decode.
Related
Last updated July 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
