McDonald's, Starbucks and other US chains boycotted in Saudi Arabia over Jerusalem decision

People in Saudi Arabia started a trending social media campaign to boycott American restaurant after Trump's Jerusalem decision (iStock)

A group in Saudi Arabia has started a social media campaign to boycott American restaurants as punishment for President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The hashtag #BoycottAmericanRestaurants was trending on Twitter Tuesday, encouraging people to boycott chains like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King and Pizza Hut among others, Newsweek reports.

"Participate in the boycott of American goods, you could have a direct effect on the American economy. The role of the people is greater [than that of governments]," one tweet read, according to a translation from The New Arab.

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This campaign comes less than week after President Trump announced he would officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the State Department to move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Trump’s controversial decision was met with criticism by many who believe the move could derail any hope of reaching a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian territories.

While some people support the boycott, others argue it is ineffective, noting the fact that people are using Twitter, an American website, as well as other American products to spread the word about the campaign.

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Shopping and eating out are two of the main leisure activities for Saudis, many of whom have disposable income, according to a report by EuroMonitor International.

McDonald’s was the leading fast-food brand in Saudi Arabia in 2016, earning 8 percent of the overall market share.