Scarlett Johansson’s new image (grossout alert)

Meanwhile, speaking of grossouts, SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum is now accusing Oxfam of funding the BDS movement! From Haaretz:

SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum on Sunday accused Oxfam of providing funding to the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign against Israel and said that an invitation he recently issued to the president of the organization to visit the company’s West Bank factory had been “ignored.”

“Unsurprisingly, Oxfam has joined the BDS in this movement [to close down the West Bank factory],” said Birnbaum. “I’m saying unsurprisingly because we found out that some of the Oxfam branches have been donating funds to the BDS, and this money is used to demonize and attack Israel.” Birnbaum was speaking on a conference call organized by The Israel Project, a U.S.-based pro-Israel advocacy group.

Oxfam’s replies are pretty good. In my book they’re redeeming themselves after their wishy-washy initial responses:

Asked to respond to the accusation, a regional spokesman for Oxfam, the international anti-poverty organization, told Haaretz: “No, we don’t provide financial support to the BDS campaign or fund activities that call for a boycott of Israel. Oxfam is not opposed to trade with Israel, and we don’t support a boycott of Israel or any other country. However, we do oppose trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
…
In response to this charge, the Oxfam spokesman said: “Oxfam wants to see a just and lasting agreement that allows Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. We support a two-state solution, and we believe that settlements in the West Bank are an obstacle to achieving that peace. Any company located in the settlements contributes to their viability and legitimizes them. This is not about labor practices or Sodastream in particular, but the bigger issue of settlements, which continue to take land and resources from Palestinian communities that we work with. Some Palestinians in the West Bank do find work in Israeli settlements, but this is often because they are restricted from pursuing other livelihoods and have little other choice. For example, Oxfam works in Palestinian farming communities – they have lost much of their land to settlements and they are rarely allowed to build new wells or get enough water. Unable to make a living, their only option is often found in settlement factories and farms, which receive government tax breaks, support, and don’t face any of the restrictions on building and development that Palestinian communities nearby do.”

Other tidbits about the SS business:

Asked whether the recent publicity about its West Bank operations could affect sales and earnings, Birnbaum responded: “We believe at SodaStream that we have never lost a single customer to the boycott, and we’ve been dealing with the boycott for five years or more. Whenever there was an issue in any country where a retailer wanted clarification about the legitimacy of what’s going on at the factory, we invited that retailer to come to see for herself or himself. And every single time, we converted the retailer who started as an adversary – we converted them into an ambassador. I’m convinced that any well-intending individual who truly cares about peace and humanity, who sees the work that’s going on in this factory, will become a partner, will join what we’re doing and embrace the idea of cooperation, and stop this obsession about occupation.”

Asked about recent layoffs of Palestinians at the West Bank factory, Birnbaum said they were connected to a seasonal downturn in orders. “It wasn’t only Palestinians who were laid off,” he said. “We have a seasonal business. This is a low time for our production, and hopefully, we’ll be able to re-employ them in the next few months. But it has nothing to do with calls for a boycott or anything like that.”