What's up with "Chain Hotels" in Tel Aviv?

Yes, so while doing some research for yesterday's posting, I came across two interesting hotels- The Best Western Regency Suites Tel Aviv, and the Howard Johnson Express Tel Aviv. The intriguing names, so familiar to Americans, sound so foreign in Israel. It seemed almost impossible that these chains had hotels in Israel.
Upon searching for the Best Western Tel Aviv on the global website, it came up! This hotel is actually a member of the international chain. What's more, it even looks like a Best Western from the inside. On the Hotel's website, the Best Western logo is prominently displayed. For these reasons, we had high hopes for the Howard Johnson as well. No such luck. On the HoJo website, the hotel is not listed, and on the Hotel's website, the Howard Johnson name is not even used (replaced with Shalom Hotel Tel Aviv), even though the HoJo name is prominently displayed in a photo of the Hotel's facade. Very Interesting. Does anybody know what the deal is with this hotel? Please note: Unless otherwise indicated, IsraelGuest is simply posting its own opinion, based on TripAdvisor reviews and other indicated sources. IsraelGuest representatives have not been guests of the hotels.