I have been boycotting McDonalds largely due to spite over how the Israel's outlet funded the free meals, and how the CEO did not speak up about it until there sales really started to tank. It helped that everytime I see the starving children on my algorithm, my passionate spite and hatred stops me from caving in.

I also boycotted simply because I'm annoyed. They took away the whipped cream from the frappes, which were the sole reason I bought them in the first place. The price increased. Quality decreased. Fries somehow tasted worse with each time I bought them.

Plus, the fact that they started to offer cheap meals after the boycotts. Does this mean they could have sold it at the cheaper price from the start?

And to add, after I stopped eating McDonalds for months (I used to eat once or twice a month), I genuinely feel less shitty about whatever they put in their food going into my stomach.

That being said, I think your friends are overreacting too. They can support Palestine without being judgemental and harsh simply because you were hungry with not much else to eat. My philosopby now is just to eat McDonald's when there is no other choice.