Rabat - Responding to calls to boycott Starbucks for its alleged financial support of the state of Israel, the American global coffee company issued a statement announcing that it “doesn’t support any political or religious cause.”
The coffee chain issued a statement this week to clarify that neither Starbucks nor CEO Howard Schultz "provides financial support to Israel," or to its army, in the wake of what Starbucks called "false rumors."
"Rumors that Starbucks or Howard provides financial support to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli Army are unequivocally false. Starbucks is a publicly held company and as such, is required to disclose any corporate giving each year through a proxy statement," the statement reads.
The Company goes so far as to reveal that it has never sent any of its profits to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli army. It stressed that “this is absolutely untrue.”
The company, which is known for flooding markets with its stores, also pointed out that it closed all of its stores in Israel in 2003 because of "operational challenges."
“We decided to dissolve our partnership in Israel in 2003 due to the on-going operational challenges that we experienced in that market. After many months of discussion with our partner we came to this amicable decision. While this was a difficult decision for both companies, we believe it remains the right decision for our businesses."
Starbucks’s clarification comes at a time at which the company was a target, along with over 50 other companies, of Long Live Palestine Boycott Israel.
As the Israeli aggression on Gaza continues, a fast-growing campaign on the app Buycott, which is a platform where anyone can publicize a boycott, has targeted Starbucks for what it says is the company's support for "the occupation of Palestine."