McDonalds goes blue

Now, McDonalds is offering a second redesign, this time for its Israeli restaurants, Israel�s leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.

At two of the fast-food chain�s kosher branches in Tel Aviv, the standard logo has been replaced with a blue and white one, with �McDonalds� printed only in Hebrew, in white letters against a blue backdrop. The word �Kosher� is printed in English and Hebrew to the side of the restaurant name.

The two branches, one at the Tel Aviv towers and one at Tel Aviv University, were recently awarded a kashrut certificate after opting to kasher their kitchens and withdraw dairy products from their menus.

Of the 120 McDonalds restaurants in Israel, 19 of them have kashrut certificates, although all of the branches purchase only kosher-certified ingredients.

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, stands behind the initiative to alter the famous logo. �When I assumed my position 10 months ago and I had to sign kashrut certificates for two (McDonald�s) restaurants in Tel Aviv, I refused because my conscience wouldn�t let me,� Rabbi Lau says. �I was mainly concerned that tourists or adolescents who visit one kosher branch may jump to the conclusion that all McDonald�s branches in Israel are kosher.�

The branches with the new blue-and-white logos will act as a sub-branch of McDonald�s, says Omri Padan, McDonald's Israel franchisee. At all non-kosher branches of the restaurant, Padan said, blue-and-white signs listing kosher locations will be posted by the cash registers, to further avoid confusion.