Boycott Of Israel's SodaStream Could Hurt Palestinian Workers

The boycott Israel folk (BDS movement) have been targeting SodaStream, a machine that makes, well, soda, and it's been working. Apparently, they've lost money the last year, but so will many of the 900 or so Palestinians who work in the West Bank factory.  But the BDS movement, don't seem to care.

“SodaStream has always been a target of the BDS movement, and has developed into a major campaign since late 2011,” a BDS spokesperson told Al Arabiya News.

“We reject any suggestion that the reality that Palestinians are sometimes left with no choice but to work in illegal Israeli settlements is a reason not to take action to end international complicity in human rights violations,” the spokesperson added.

Maybe SodaStream, which has 20 manufacturing facilities worldwide, should just shut down the factory in the West Bank. Maybe that would make the stupid BDSers happy.

The company produced a video in December 2012 touting the benefits Palestinians gain from working there, including health insurance, and much better pay. Though the pro-Pali site The Electronic Intifada claims it's not true.  No surprise there.

And no surprise that uber-lefty organizations like CODEPINK support BDS.

However, SodaStream has tapped Scarlett Johansson to be  its "celebrity brand ambassador." That, of course, has caused a furor.

“It was very surprising that Scarlett Johansson has decided to become the new face of Israeli apartheid, especially given that she is also an Oxfam ambassador,” said the BDS spokesperson.
“We’re sure she'll soon realize that there's nothing green about Israeli apartheid.”

More on Al Arabiya.