McDonald’s Israel fires employee for speaking Arabic

Mc HebrewAbeer Zinaty, an Israeli citizen of Palestinian origin was fired from her job at a McDonald’s restaurant in Ramle, central Israel, specifically because she spoke Arabic to a co-worker.

McDonald’s Corporation confirmed that it has a policy banning its employees from speaking Arabic in its restaurants in Israel, despite the fact that Palestinian citizens of Israel form 20% of its workforce, and Arabic is one of the two official languages of Israel.

It is unimaginable that in its American restaurants, McDonald’s would prohibit the use of Spanish, the most-commonly spoken language in the United States after English.

“Zinaty’s treatment at the hands of the Israeli management of McDonald’s is a stark illustration of an ever-swelling tide of discrimination against Arab workers”
Jafar Ferah (Director of Mossawa — a political lobbying group for Israel’s one million Palestinian citizens)

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[via Je Blog, Jalan-Jalan]

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Mohamed Marwen Meddah

Mohamed Marwen Meddah is a Tunisian-Canadian, web aficionado, software engineering leader, blogger, and amateur photographer.