Posted on 01/25/2024 9:06:24 AM PST by TigerClaws
Pizza Hut is facing backlash — and a potential boycott — after some photos shared on the Pizza Hut Israel Instagram account appeared to show the company providing free pizzas to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers in the country. The post, a now-expired Instagram Story, was screenshot and shared across social media in the following days.
Since then, #BoycottPizzaHut has trended on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and similar posts have cropped up on Instagram and TikTok. Pizza Hut joins the likes of McDonald’s and Starbucks — both companies faced backlash and boycotts last year for their perceived support of the Israeli government amid the country’s continued strikes in Gaza.
Nexstar has reached out to Pizza Hut and Yum! Brands, its parent company, for comment. We’ll update when we hear back.
Both McDonald’s and Starbucks later released statements to clarify their companies’ stances, though both acknowledged ramifications of the reported boycotts. Earlier this month, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski wrote on LinkedIn, in part: “Our hearts remain with the communities and families impacted by the war in the Middle East. We abhor violence of any kind and firmly stand against hate speech, and we will always proudly open our doors to everyone.” Kempczinski said “misinformation” about McDonald’s perceived support for slower sales in the Middle East. Additionally, the CEO pointed to local McDonald’s franchise owners in Israel as the ones who are “serving their communities.” Starbucks meanwhile has a dedicated page on the Israel-Gaza conflict, explaining that “despite false statements spread through social media, we have no political agenda.”
Though Starbucks says its profits have never funded any government or military operations, many calls to boycott the company persist online. It’s unclear yet how the perceived support of the Israeli government — whose strikes have killed over 25,000 Palestinians so far, according to Palestinian officials — will have on Pizza Hut.
As of Wednesday evening, X showed several hundred thousand posts containing the boycott hashtag. Here’s another TikTok trend to avoid, experts say
Meanwhile, though Pizza Hut Israel has turned off comments on its Instagram posts, the U.S. account’s photos and videos, which are unrelated to the incident, are inundated with comments featuring the #BoycottPizzaHut or #FreePalestine hashtags.
“We ordered pizza tonight. It WASN’T from you,” reads one top comment on Pizza Hut’s latest post. “Shame on you for supporting genocide,” reads another.
Though not everyone online is in support of the alleged boycott, the Pizza Hut incident illustrates the division among Americans over what the Israel-Gaza war means. Recently published findings by polling outlet YouGov showed older Americans and Republicans were more likely to consider Jewish people in Israel as being victims of genocide, while younger Americans and Democrats were likelier to say Arab people in Gaza are the victims of genocide.
“Why are people boycotting Pizza Hut?”
Because frozen pizza tastes better.
Personally, I’ve boycotted it because their pizza sucks.
Pizza isn’t halal so fuggem all. Neither is a Big Mac so fuggem all again.
IIRC, it probably also didn't have any other meat. (Something about meat and cheese served together.)
ONLY in the raw sewage of SOCIAL MEDIA is Pizza Hut being boycotted.
Convince me people who eat Pizza Hut care what is happening in Gaza. PLEASE!
I can just take a spoonful of magnesium if I want diarrhea.
It sure does.
How anyone who resides in the United States can possibly support and demonstrate publicly for Hamas/Gaza, and virulently oppose Israel, is beyond any kind of rational comprehension.
This has got to be deliberately-induced mental illness of the highest order.
Because Jack’s is just as satisfying at 1/5 the the cost.
Well, a lot of U.S. residents these days are not really Americans. They come, to risk sounding racist, from more apish parts of the globe where Hitler is still admired.
What’s pizza without pepperoni?
I’ve never been there because I detest any kind of pizza.
The Pizza Hut we had near us when I was a kid had a lunch time all you could eat Pizza buffet. When I was a teenager, I was a champion bicycle racer who rode 10,000 miles a year and was skinny as a rail. After school my teacher who was the wrestling coach initiated a pizza eating contest. I won by eating 26 slices... 2 1/2 times the nearest competitor who was a football player.
We currently have a Pizza Hut a couple miles away... I am going to make a point of stopping in and buying a pizza.
“We ordered pizza tonight. It WASN’T from you,” reads one top comment on Pizza Hut’s latest post. “Shame on you for supporting genocide,” reads another.
I am with this guy about not ordering Pizza Hut pizza.
But it is not about Israel or genocide, it’s about lousy pizza.
Before YUM bought Pizza Hut it was hands down the best pizza I had ever had. After YUM bought it they continuously cheapened the product until it was unrecognizable.
YUM used the same corporate formula with their other franchise acquisitions Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell.
But as far as the boycott goes it completely off the mark. Both side of that conflict are intent on a so called genocide. Why devote your ire on one side and not the other?
I’ve boycotted pizza hut because they aren’t diverse enough in their advertising. I feel offended.
We had a bunch of Domino’s pizzas for dinner last night and while it wasn’t haute cuisine they were good pizzas! We ordered the ‘hand tossed’ crusts, two toppings, with extra cheese.
Like $8 each.
We’re way out of town so I reheated them in the oven and they were just fine.
Also, Domino’s passes my “Chicken Test”.
This is simple. Our chickens eat slugs, mice, worms, lice, ticks, spiders, and etc.
Knowing this, whatever they won’t eat WE WON’T eat!
Things they won’t eat:
1. Microwave popcorn (any brand)
2. Pizza Hut pizza
3. Ball Park hot dogs (but they LOVE Hebrew Nationals!)
4. Twinkies
5. Girl Scout cookies
6. Pillsbury pre-made anything
etc.
I don’t eat much of it myself, but when I do it sure as shootin’ ain’t gonna be Pizza Hut. It’s actually not too unhealthy. Bread, a little oil, tomato paste, cheese, and some toppings. The veggie style isn’t bad either.
"Because frozen pizza tastes better."
It didn't used to be that way, but, darn - lately I've been buying frozen pizza after trying Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Papa John.
Those pizza chains have gone down the tubes. I found Home Run Inn pizza at Publix to be the one I like the most.
Or as my nephew said when he was little: “Peet-thuh Hup”. I’ll never get that out of my head. The language of little kids is so interesting.
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