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Burger King Israel will distribute meal vouchers worth NIS 480,000 ($128,000) to active-duty and reservist IDF combat soldiers as part of a settlement in a class-action lawsuit. The 8,727 vouchers, valued at 55 shekels ($14.70) each, will be redeemable at the chain’s kosher branches and offered to both religious and non-religious soldiers.
The agreement stems from a 2022 lawsuit filed by a religious customer who claimed he was misled into eating non-kosher food at Burger King’s Hod Hasharon branch. According to the complaint, the branch had been falsely presented as kosher on a large exterior sign at the Azrieli Mall, even though it had lost its kosher certification over a year earlier. The sign was only removed after the lawsuit was filed.
The plaintiff said he was drawn to the location by the kosher signage and ordered a cheeseburger advertised as featuring a kosher cheese substitute. After taking a bite, he realized the product was actual cheese, which led him to discover the branch was no longer certified kosher.
According to the suit, although the branch had removed its internal kosher certificate and signage, the prominent external sign declaring it a kosher branch remained in place, misleading him and potentially other observant customers.
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Burger King denied the claims but acknowledged that the exterior sign was removed shortly after the lawsuit was filed. The chain also argued that identifying members of a potential affected group would be difficult, since observant Jews typically avoid uncertified establishments.
Following the sign’s removal and updates to marketing materials, the court approved a settlement deal. Judge Rachel Arkobi, who approved the agreement, wrote: “There is no dispute that the sign at the mall presented the branch as kosher, establishing a personal claim for the plaintiff."
“The more complex question is the group definition, as kosher certification inside the branch had already been removed. The settlement amount appropriately reflects the scope of the group and provides suitable deterrence in cases involving misleading kosher claims,” the judge added.
The vouchers will be valid for one year and distributed within 45 days of the court’s approval. The plaintiff will receive 9,600 shekels ($2,560) and his legal team will receive tens of thousands of shekels in fees.
Attorneys Amit Ben-Aroya and Shira Blum-Wolff, who represented the plaintiff, said: “We’re pleased that Burger King took full responsibility, immediately removed the misleading signage and donated meals to IDF combat units — amounting to about a third of the chain’s revenue during the relevant period.”