January 31, 2014

"I would love to work for SodaStream. They’re quite privileged. People look up to them."

"It’s not the people who want to boycott, it’s the officials."
Leaning up against the cement half-walls of the bus stop, jackets pulled up over their cold hands and faces and cigarette butts glowing in the dark, [the SodaStream workers] blame the [Palestinian Authority] for failing to create jobs while taking a political stand against Israeli business that do.

“The PA can say anything it wants and no one will listen because it’s not providing an alternative,” says one man, a 2006 political science graduate of Al Quds University bundled in a jacket bearing the SodaStream logo. As for reports that the company doesn’t honor labor rights, that’s “propaganda,” he says. “Daniel [Birnbaum, the CEO of SodaStream,] is a peacemaker.”
This is in the American news because there's a Scarlett Johansson/Super Bowl ad angle.



"If only I could make this message go viral."

Just say the word.

14 comments:

Ron said...

Angles on Scarlett? Not so much...sine waves...that's more like it!

Paco Wové said...

What an annoying article that C.S.Monitor piece is! Johansson is "assailed by critics". Who? Not a single person or organization is quoted.

And this bizarre locution: "But many supporters of peace on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides insist that even if companies like SodaStream enable individual Palestinians to earn a better livelihood, they are part of a broader settlement enterprise that is detrimental to individual rights and national aspirations." "Supporters of peace"? WTF? If Israeli companies hire Palestinians and treat them well, that's bad, and if they don't hire Palestinians, that's bad, too?

MadisonMan said...

Mission Accomplished, virally speaking.

MadisonMan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MadisonMan said...

But the people pushing the Boycott will feel good about themselves, even if it hurts the people they are allegedly supporting. It's the American Way!

Known Unknown said...

I would support a Palestinian State if it were run by Disney.

traditionalguy said...

But Scarlet is a Jew. So she is not going to be scared off by a bunch of insane murderous thugs.

The SodaStream Factory is in Jerusalem which has been de facto capitol of Israel since 1967.

Only dedicated anti-semites like Obama and Valerie Jarrett insist on compliance with "The 1949 Truce Lines" as a border splitting the Old City part of Jerusalem that contains the Temple Mount off from Jerusalem accessible by Jews.

Andy Freeman said...

Oxfam hasn't changed its position, a position that Johansson must be familiar with, having been an "Ambassador", advocate, and active participant for almost a decade.

What's changed is that Johansson is getting paid by Soda Stream.

It's better than nothing that she can be paid to take the correct position, but her history tells us what she'd do otherwise.

Cliff said...

Ugh. More misinformation. For a "law" blog Althouse has some of the most misinformed readers. The main sodastream factory is NOT in jerusalem. It is in the occupied west bank.

mccullough said...

Pays better than suicide bomber.

n.n said...

It's the economy, stupid. The Palestinian terrorist organizations need to forget their past glories. The Islamic Caliphate, like the Third Reich (i.e. socialist empire), the communist nirvana, etc. are not sustainable in an armed, middle class society.

Sam L. said...

Those Horrible Israelis! Hiring Pali workers! Oh, the Humanity!

Doing the dirty jobs that Palis won't--actually providing jobs.

Revenant said...

Only dedicated anti-semites like Obama and Valerie Jarrett insist on compliance with "The 1949 Truce Lines" as a border splitting the Old City part of Jerusalem that contains the Temple Mount off from Jerusalem accessible by Jews.

Sorry. I support Israel and I'm glad they exist, but that's bullshit.

There are plenty of people who had "their" land taken away from them by a more powerful people. The Jews are one such people among countless others. Just because their story's in the Bible is no reason to think they've got a special claim on the land. Their claim is no more special than the Mexicans' claim to Texas -- or the natives' claim to Mexico, for that matter.

And sure, I know Mexico surrendered the territory after losing a war. But that's how the Jews lost Israel, too.

Israel's claim to the land is simple: they have a government of representatives of the people who live on it. The notion that a *people* have a particular claim on a piece of land, though, is a bunch of silly-assed ethnic bullshit.

Rusty said...


Israel's claim to the land is simple: they have a government of representatives of the people who live on it.

No.
They have the military power to keep it.
When their adversaries become militarily powerful they will attempt to take it back.
Thus it has always been. Thus it shall always be.
The fact that Israel is a egalitarian democratic state is a side benefit to those whos land it used to be and have decided to remain.