From Didi Remez’s invaluable website Coteret:
The Israeli franchisee of Columbia Sportswear, a large Portland-based manufacturer of outdoor clothing, with an impressive Corporate Social Responsibility portfolio and what appears to be a rather progressive domestic client base, rather the following ad in the November 27 edition of the Jerusalem Post’s Friday Magazine.
Note the description at the bottom “for active work in various regions, including outposts.” If we have any doubt what “outposts” the ad is referring to, see the same ad in Hebrew, which ran on the same day in the Friday Political Supplement of Makor Rishon, a right-wing weekly. The Hebrew translation of “outposts” there is “gvaot” (hills) a euphemism for the illegal outposts populated by the “hilltop youth”, notorious for their violence against Palestinian civilians.
Visit Coteret for translated "news, analysis and opinion from the Israeli Hebrew print and electronic media."
One is reminded of Prescott Bush and his affiliations in the years between the World Wars. American corporate barons will turn a dime, no matter what the human cost.
That’s the good news.
…so what’s the bad news?
You don’t want to know…
I have contact the company thru the ‘contact us’ page of their website – link to columbia.com – with the following message:
“Are you aware of your Israeli advertising suggesting your clothing is ‘Suitable for active work in various areas, including outposts’?
I will no longer purchase your products and will advise friends and family to stop purchases as well until you reply in a way that convinces me the company does not support or condone illegal settlements in the Palestinian west bank by Israel.
Your prompt reply is appreciated.”
Good! We’ve seen the power of organized Zionism in applying pressure, it needs to work in the other direction.
Yeah, I asked them a very pointed question, myself. You know, if people feel strongly about this issue at all, that the settlement process needs to stop and thus so must support for it, it might behoove certain personages to maybe put their money where their mouth is and actually utilize the link.
Assuming, of course, that particular personage I’m talking about is anywhere sincere at all in their professed rejection of settlement activity.
John, thanks for this. Here’s my letter:
My letter: I have previously purchased and appreciated your products, but I can no longer support a company who markets its goods to criminals linked to terrorism, as is evident in your Israel advertisement that claims your garments are “suitable for active work, including outposts.” The Israeli outposts in the West Bank are illegal according to Israeli law, and many of the persons doing “active work” in these outposts are linked to the illegal terrorist Kahane organization. This work is likely to involve illegally cutting down olive trees and stealing livestock from their Palestinian neighbors. If this is the kind of activity you want your products associated with, I want no more association with you.
Pingback: Columbia Sportswear markets to settlers – Bay Area Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid
Pingback: Columbia Sportswear agrees to ‘immediately and permanently discontinue’ ad campaign marketing to settlers