PSNA To Target Sodastream In Noel Leeming Outlets For ‘Complicity With Israeli Genocide, Apartheid And Land Grabbing’

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is launching a nationwide campaign against stockists of carbonated drink machines produced by the Israeli company Sodastream.

PSNA says its action is part of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to isolate apartheid Israel while it commits genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

PSNA Co-Chair Maher Nazzal won’t reveal when the ‘active campaign’ might start, but he does say that the Noel Leeming retail chain is to be the first target.

“We wrote to Noel Leeming’s parent company, the Warehouse, on 25 March, reminding them of their Ethical Sourcing Policy, which states;

“Like our customers,wecare about doing the right thing – not only here in New Zealand but everywhere we operate.

Our aim is to ensure our customers have confidencethatour products have been ethically sourced.’

“We didn’t get a reply. It seems their ethical policy is just a public relations whitewash.”

Nazzal says Sodastream previously manufactured its machines near Ma'ale Adumim, one of the most notorious illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank, which was built over destroyed Palestinian villages.

“Sodastream denied it at the time, but the pressure from international customers forced Sodastream to relocate its factory to near Rahat in the Nagab desert in Southern Israel.”

Nazzal says the Sodastream stain remains.

“Sodastream built its new factory on traditional Bedouin land. In 1948, the Israeli army expelled most of the nomadic Bedouin from Palestine. Ever since then, Israel has attempted to drive the remaining Bedouin into Bantustan shanty towns so Israelis can occupy the rest of their land.”

“Some Bedouin have had their villages destroyed by the Israeli army dozens of times.”

“The Israeli government subsidises industrial plants and towns in the Nagab, to ‘improve the demographic balance’ in favour of Jewish immigrants. It’s just the same apartheid as in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” Nazzal says.

“Israeli companies can exploit local Palestinian labour, just as easily as they can if they were operating in the West Bank.”

“Sodastream boasts that it is also exploiting local prison labour. I think that is a great thing to publicise.”

Nazzal says the PSNA action against SodaStream shouldn’t be necessary.

“Our government should be sanctioning Israel for its genocide and apartheid. It has obligations set by the International Court of Justice, which it completely ignores.”

Nazzal says civic boycotts work.

“The best example in this country was the campaign against apartheid South Africa, especially against the Springbok Tour in 1981.”

“Much more recently, only last year, the Israeli parent company of Obela food dips sold its brand. It reluctantly admitted that part of the reason was the consumer boycott of Obella as an Israeli product.”

“Though Obela sales in countries such as Aotearoa New Zealand didn’t fall that much, it was enough to cause an Israeli identity brand crisis. Obela is still on sale here, but is no longer an Israeli company and isn’t sending profits back to Israel anymore.”

Nazzal says the initial target is Noel Leeming, but the campaign will also be moving to other retail chains which stock Sodastream, such as Briscoes and New World.

“We hope they will see ethical reason and realise why it’s not in the long-term interests of their respective brands to continue to stock Sodastream."

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