George Soros Dumps SodaStream

“The decision comes as a group of big international investors, including the fund lined to Microsoft found, Bill Gates, join a burgeoning financial boycott of Israel amid a push by the boycott, divestment and sanction movement (BDS) and other groups seeking more rights for Palestinians.” SodaStream is a major employer of Palestinian Arabs, and provides them with wages equivalent to their Israeli counterparts as well as a mosque on the premises. That hasn’t stopped SodaStream from becoming the target of BDS venom, most notably, the departure of actress Scarlet Johansson from Pro BDS Oxfam over her controversial advertisements for SodaStream.

“If Starbucks partners with SodaStream, it will face an unprecedented boycott campaign against it in the Arab world, the U.S., and in many other countries …” Barghouti might sound a bit ambitious here (especially since polls show the majority of Americans support the recent military defense by Israel in Gaza) that the typical American is going to give up the morning Frapuccino. However, massive boycotts of Starbucks in Europe because of BDS might make a dent, although the coffee company has been doing as well in China in recent years as it has in Europe. Of course, if BDS drives Starbucks away from Sodastream, it is likely to hurt West Bank Arabs who work for SodaStream at least as much as their Israeli employers.