Scarlett Johansson has told British Sunday paper "The Observer" that she has no regrets over her decision to sponsor home carbonated beverages maker SodaStream International Ltd. (Nasdaq: SODA). She said that she was unpersuaded by the fact that the UN, the Red Cross and the International Court of Justice agree that the company's factory in Maaleh Adumim in the West Bank is in contravention of international law.
"Sure, I think that's the way you can look at it. But I also think for a non-governmental organisation to be supporting something that's supporting a political cause … something feels not right about that to me. There's plenty of evidence that Oxfam does support and has funded a BDS [boycott, divest, sanctions] movement in the past. It's something that can't really be denied," said Johansson. Oxfam, from which Johansson resigned as ambassador after it criticized her sponsorship of SodaStream denied her allegation.
"No, I stand behind that decision," said Johansson. "I was aware of that particular factory before I signed. And it still doesn't seem like a problem - at least not until someone comes up with a solution to the closing of that factory and leaving all those people destitute."
Johansson rejected Oxfam's argument that it "believes that businesses that operate in settlements further the ongoing poverty and denial of rights of the Palestinian communities that we work to support." She said that the case against the factory was not clear. "I think that's something that's very easily debatable … In that case, I was literally plunged into a conversation that's way grander and larger than this one particular issue. And there's no right side or wrong side leaning on this issue."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 16, 2014
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