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Is boycott finally reaching the American mainstream? Well it’s on MSNBC, and in a favorable light.
An ad for SodaStream, the Israeli company that produces seltzer makers, is scheduled to air at the Superbowl on February 3. The ad, which was abruptly banned in the UK a few days ago for “denigration of the bottled drinks market,” is causing controversy because Sodastream does its work in an illegal Israeli settlement(pdf) through the exploitation of Palestinian land, resources, and labor. Inevitably this issue will go mainstream, but it certainly got a jump start on MSNBC over the weekend as Nation editor David Zirin, a pundit on Up with Chris Hayes explains (at 5:50):
Zirin:Every year there is a controversial Superbowl ad. You should know that this year it will be for a company called SodaStream, that they carbonate beverages they turn water into club soda. SodaStream is also an Israeli company. It’s an Israeli company that exists, the factory exists in the occupied, it’s on an illegal settlement in the West Bank. And this is already leading to a lot of protest that this commercial is going to be played in the Superbowl since it’s on an illegal settlement. There’s a protest today in Washington DC being held by Jewish Voices for Peace against SodaStream and a counter protest by people supporting Soda Stream and the idea of having these companies on illegal settlements in the West Bank and this will show up on the largest possible social stage in the United States, the Superbowl
Hayes: Fantastic! I did not know that, something to look out for.
If you want to play a part in the SodaStream ad controversy, you should enter the SodaStream Super Bowl Spoof Ads Contest:
We do not have millions of dollars, but we have you!
Create Your Own of the Super Bowl SodaStream Ad Spoof!
A coalition of groups including the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is calling on activists to create SodaStream spoof ads in time for the Super Bowl.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- Upload your video to YouTube. You can find instructions to do that here.
- After your video is uploaded, send its YouTube link to boycottsodastream@gmail.com. Please include your name, city, state, zip code and organization if applicable.
- Once your video has been accepted, you will receive an email confirmation within 48 hours letting you know it has been added to the “2013 SodaStream Super Bowl Ad Spoof” playlist.
- Encourage people to watch and like your video! Use #BoycottSodaStream on Twitter.
- The video that has the most likes by 12pm EST on Sunday, February 3 will be announced as the winner before the Super Bowl! There is no deadline to submit videos, but the sooner you do, the more time you will have to get people to like it!
(Hat Tip Mondoweiss commenter German Lefty)
Kudos to Hayes. I hope SodaStream hucksters Ed Shultz, Bill Press, Thom Hartmann, and Stephanie Miller get the message.
Watched the first hour and a half and then turned off when it entered the sports land coverage. Thank you lefty for catching this one. Chris Hayes answered “I did not know that” when his guest announced this protest. This was mentioned at the chapter of Sabeel in Denver they were showing “Roadmap to Apartheid” I had mentioned how Chris Hayes has been breaking out of the msm mold on the I/P issue and also mentioned his torture segment (Amy Goodman and Eli Lake went a few rounds on Sunday on torture). and how we should be thanking and encouraging him. Someone brought up the Sodastream protest announcement. Opening up via Chris Hayes
Great opportunity to boycott or protest in front of stores selling Sodastream. Seize the moment..educate the public. Codepink anti soda stream flash mobs nation wide. What are these called? Teachable moments
Unfortunately one of Thom Hartmann’s advertisers is Soda Stream. There was no reply to the email I sent him regarding the nefarious origins of Soda Stream. Maybe he needs more emails.
What I have noticed about Hartmann is that if a caller criticizes Israel Hartmann quickly gets him off the air.
Kathleen the illegal Israeli products were made in the state of Palestine, someone said that if the Palestinians started labeling their products “made in Palestine” it would only force the settlers to label their goods made in Palestine, I would say this is remote since they would never admit that their settlements were not part of the land of Israel as they see it, its in the Zionists DNA. Just to illustrate this point the European Community concluded a deal with the Israeli authorities in order to differentiate Israeli goods from Israeli settlement goods The Technical Arrangements introduced in 2005 and
recently published on 3rd August 2012, issuing a revised Notice to
importers concerning imports from Israel into the EU which said inter
alia “the postal code and the name of the city, village or industrial
zone where production conferring originating status has taken place
appear on all proofs of preferential origin issued or made out in
Israel; This wording would seem to satisfy both sides, the Commission
would know which places could be excluded for preferential duty
purposes, the Israelis would not have to declare in an official
document [the invoice declaration] that these settlements were not
part of the state of Israel, however, I have just read a paper from
the Israeli Tax Authority where they, at paragraph 7[2][a] declare
that “invoice declarations covering goods which obtained their
originating status in one location-the location [including postal code
where production conferring originating status has taken place shall
be indicated in parenthesis next to the word “Israel”. [see
“Regulations Technical issues in the implementation of protocol 4 of
the Association Agreement for the purpose of indicating the location
conferring originating status in preference documents in exportation
from Israel to the EU”] Here: http://ozar.mof.gov.il/customs/eng/export2005.htm So you see the Zionists can’t help themselves.