REPUBLICA.CO.ID, by Rr Laeny Sulistyawati, Haura Hafizhah

A resident of Mustika, Tangerang Regency, Banten, Kris (56 years old) claimed to well aware about the policy of McDonald's (McD) Israel and was concerned. Nevertheless, he visited the fast food restaurant McD Tigaraksa, Tangerang Regency, because she accompanied her grandson who was attending school at McKids Tigaraksa.

“I know and am concerned to hear about McD Israel,” he said when he met Republika at McD Tigaraksa on Sunday (22/10/2023).

Kris claimed to be on the side of Palestine in the current event. In fact, he claimed to donate to Palestinians on the raising at his home complex.

Regarding his arrival to McD Tigaraksa today, Kris claimed he actually rarely goes to McD's.

“I rarely eat here and if there are events only. It happened to be today accompanying my grandson who is schooled in McKids this place,” he said.

Separately, another Mustika resident Renni, 30, also knows about the issue of McDonald's Israel. Renni also admitted that she rarely visited McD's fast food restaurants including in Tigaraksa, Tangerang Regency, Banten. She only ate there because she accompanied his son who was attending non-formal school under McD Tigaraksa and gave a free ice cream promotion, Sunday (22/10/2023).

“I honestly know the problem of McD Israel giving food to Israeli soldiers but I rarely buy at McD's. So, it almost never eats here,” she told Republika.

Nevertheless, Renni's 3-year-old son has been attending non-formal play education at McKids since the last 2 months. At McKids, Renni's son Zain interacts with his friends and his presence at McD Tigaraksa today is just to accompany the baby.

“There happens to be an event here and I get a free ice cream promotion every time he goes home from school Sunday. I was just idly accompanying the child, not being serious, and bringing up the issue of McD Israel,” she said.

Every month, she continued, McKids also held extracurricular activities. For example today visit the Fire Department then to McD Tigaraksa to pick up a free ice cream. When asked if she would remove the child from the program, Renni shook her head. The reason is because the program helped his son stage fever.

“Then, since school at McKids, my son (Zain) has become bolder. He can also play,” she said.

Moreover, Renni is grateful that the cost of his education is relatively cheap at only Rp 60 thousand per year. Moreover, Renni admitted that her son also cannot be a student in another school because he is not yet enough to enter any early childhood education (PAUD) because the minimum age is 3.5 years. “So, there is no other option,” she said.

While in another part of the Jakarta greater area, the talking of boycotting McD circulated. In a parents messaging group in East Jakarta, several conplaints raised when a school there planned to feed the kids with McDs. "Could we have another snack, my family currently stop eating McDonald's," a mom said drawing support from another. 

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