On the busy Jerusalem street of Emek Refaim, construction is nearing
completion on the latest and perhaps most well-known international symbol of
American capitalism and globalization. Right here in Baka - a beautiful
Jerusalem neighbourhood - McDonald's is about to open for business. In contrast
to the abrasive bright red awning eye-sore of the Pizza Hut down the block,
these Golden Arches have been mounted on walls of Jerusalem Stone, disguising
the building to look like any other building in the city. It is unclear whether
or not the McDesigners intended to evoke other prominent Jerusalem landmarks,
but any postcard of the Old City proves that they weren't the first to come up
with the 'gold on Jerusalem Stone' motif.
Although the opening of the first Israeli McDonald's eight years ago was a
big deal at the time, there are now over 80 McDonald's franchises littered
across the country. It's rare to go more than a few kilometers on any highway in
Israel without seeing the Golden Arches beckoning on the horizon. So the opening
of one more McDonald's, even in the nation's capital, is not particularly
newsworthy. However, neighbours' reaction to the new McDonald's marks an
important landmark in the development of Israel's civil society. A battle is
brewing on Emek Refaim, involving business owners, concerned citizens and the
municipality. People who live on streets abutting Emek are concerned about the
impact of the McDonalds on traffic, parking and noise in the neighbourhood.
These are exactly the kind of 'quality-of-life' issues that are typically
ignored by both Israeli political leaders and their supporters - from all shades
of the political spectrum - as the never-ending political conflict means that
security issues preempt all other concerns.
It is amazingly refreshing to walk down Emek Refaim and discover a political
protest that has nothing to do with Israel's military conflict with the
Palestinians. Families were marching back and forth in front of the McDonalds
construction site, carrying placards and shouting cheers, decrying the impact of
another new fast-food restaurant on their neighbourhood. Rather than voicing
their opinion on the latest peace- or war-making efforts of the Prime Minister,
the Foreign Minister or the Palestinian Authority, these protesters gathered to
protect their parking spaces, the sidewalks where their children play and
prevent too much noise in the neighbourhood. Even more interesting, it was a
genuinely mixed group - secular and religious, old and young, Ashekenazim and
Sephardim. They put aside their different opinions about the typically
controversial political issues in Israel in order to fight the Jerusalem
municipality's business-friendly zoning regulations, which are allowing
McDonalds to intrude on their neighbourhood.
This is a significant occurrence in Israel because it indicates that Israeli
society is also participating in the global phenomenon of a grassroots citizens'
reaction to the cultural imperialist effects of globalization. Ironically, the
'local' nature of the McDonalds backlash here in Jerusalem is precisely what
makes it part of a greater global trend. It reminds me of a very similar
'outraged citizens' backlash that occurred a few years ago in Toronto, Canada.
Plans were underway to replace Dooney's, a local coffee-shop popular among the
trendy downtown Toronto neighbourhood's left-wing intellectual elite, with a
Starbucks. In reaction to a fierce battle fought by Toronto's coffee-drinking
activists, Starbucks was chased away (or at least down the block). This was a
significant and important victory for Toronto's coffee-drinking activists - by
saving Dooney's, they protected their vision of what the neighbourhood should
be. They supported Dooney's with its unique local character in contrast to the
generic Starbucks atmosphere, which is identical in Seattle, Toronto, and now,
even in Tel Aviv.
It is amazing to realize that this same process is happening here in Israel.
Despite all the security concerns, the daily risks that citizens to take when
getting on a bus, and the constant tension in the air, there are also some
people concerned about what are considered 'ordinary' issues in most Western
countries. Graffiti spray-painted on the unfinished McDonalds construction site
declares "Lo Rotzim McDonalds B'Baka' ("We Don't Want McDonalds in the
Baka neighbourhood"). What a striking contrast to the anti-Arab incitement
that is to the slogan of choice amongst most Jerusalem graffiti artists! The
security guard standing watch outside the McDonald's construction site looks
more concerned by anti-McDonald's vandals than suicide bombers - as opposed to
the guards at the door of most other Emek Refaim restaurants.
New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman has put forward the thesis that no
two countries with McDonalds have gone to war against each other. The claim is
not about the peace-making influence of Big Macs, but rather that a McDonalds
franchise is a bench-mark indicator of a country's development. The idea is that
when a country is able to support McDonalds branches, this is proof that it is
"advanced enough to have been integrated into the global economy and the
more closely nations are linked in this way, the more they seek economic and
political stability." With the exception of NATO's 1999 bombing of
Yugoslavia this theory still holds, even in the Middle East, a region not
generally known for peace amongst neighbours. One might argue that the opening
of the Ramat Gan McDonalds in October 1993, just one month after the famous
White House Handshake, was an important sign of Israel's progress along the road
to peace. The following year, McDonalds opened up in Egypt (the Golden Arches
are now visible from the Great Pyramids), and despite angry diplomatic
statements and recalled ambassadors, the Camp David Peace Accord has been kept
and neither Israel nor Egypt have attacked each other. Lebanon and Syria,
countries with which Israel is officially still in a state of war, do not have
McDonalds. Neither does the Palestinian Authority. According to this argument,
the conditions for peace-making will exist when Jericho's Oasis Casino serves
french fries with the poker chips.
The anti-McDonalds protests in Baka indicate that Israeli society has
continued to advance to the next stage of development. After the rapid rush to
embrace all aspects of Americanization of the economy and culture, elements of
Israeli society are fighting back, not because they don't like hamburgers
(kosher or traiff), but because they are concerned about quality of life in
their neighbourhood. This is very unusual in Israeli society today which is
characterized by short-term planning and a crisis mentality. How can we worry
about safe roads, environmental protection or zoning of residential
neighbourhoods, the argument goes, when the country is fighting a war?
If that question is turned around, it provides some insight for peace-makers
in the region - how can the country fight a war, when citizens are worried about
safe road, environmental protection and zoning of residential neighbourhoods?
Will someone want to fight a war when their primary concerns are the quality of
education their children are receiving, or the overabundance of fast-food
restaurants in the neighbourhood? A family that has experienced sufficient
economic and social development to prioritize these issues is more likely to
rely on non-violent methods of conflict resolution than suicide bombers. This is
not to recommend ignoring the legitimate political claims that motivate both
sides in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It does however, suggest that
ignoring the importance of economic and social development results in a flawed
peace process. What this means for peace-seekers in the region, is that we
should be striving to create the situation where Palestinians are comfortable
enough in their day to day life, that they can afford the luxury of protesting
an American fast food chain opening up in Ramallah. It is perhaps ridiculous to
imagine such a situation in today's deteriorated situation, when Palestinians
are more concerned with dealing with the daily hardships of the Israeli
occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. No one asks them if they want fries
with their road block, and house demolitions don't come with McHappy Meals. But
can you imagine the day when residents of Emek Refaim will march hand in hand
with residents of Beit Jala and Jenin in defence of locally-owned falafel
shops?? Right now this dream might be too far off to be anything but laughable,
but I gain hope from the concerned citizens of Emek Refaim. If they care enough
about their neighbourhood to engage in active political protest about the
McDonalds, despite the military crisis situation currently dominating Israeli
political discourse, maybe they also care about quality of life in other
neighbourhoods in this region. And maybe, just maybe, that can contribute to the
process of understanding and reconcilliation that is so desperately needed. So
forget Tenet and Mitchell - bring on Ronald McDonald and give Pizza (Hut) a
chance!
