NEW YORK (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) On Tuesday, Jan. 28, welcomed the statement issued by Scarlett Johansson on her role as a spokesperson for the Israeli company SodaStream, and commended her “principled opposition” to the anti-Israel BDS movement.
As a reaction to the recent SodaStream announcement that Johansson will appear in their new Super Bowl commercial, supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and other anti-Israel groups and individuals launched a campaign to pressure the actress to disassociate herself from the Israeli company.
In response, Ms. Johansson issued a statement on the partnership, stating that her decision to affiliate with SodaStream stemmed from its commitment “to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine supporting neighbors working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights.”
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
“We salute Scarlett Johansson’s statement explaining clearly and directly the reasons for her association with SodaStream, and commend her principled opposition to those who have sought to use her relationship as a celebrity spokesperson for SodaStream to promote a divisive and highly politicized campaign designed to cause economic harm to the company and its hundreds of employees.
“SodaStream has long been a target of activists seeking to undermine the Jewish State through a boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. These advocates oppose constructive dialogue regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, at their core, reject Israel’s Jewish existence and the two-state solution.
“Johansson’s statement is an important rejection of this view. Unlike the BDS campaign, she has highlighted SodaStream as a positive example of how to move towards understanding between Israelis and Palestinians, one which will hopefully contribute to the conflict’s end and help facilitate the creation of a Palestinian state living at peace with a secure Israel.
“BDS and anti-Israel activists have long engaged in a smear campaign against SodaStream, including lobbing false and biased accusations against the Israeli company and routinely petitioning stores across the world to stop carrying SodaStream products.”
According to ADL, the global BDS campaign is fundamentally biased and includes goals which call for the end of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people.
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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League