Buy Israeli Products - Don't Buy Settlement Products (They're not the same)

On May 10, 2011, Meretz USA President, Dr. Moises Salinas-Fleitman, and Executive Director Ron Skolnik issued the following statement on behalf of the organization.

This Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, as part of your celebration of freedom and the establishment of the State of Israel, Meretz USA asks you to add the political act of boycotting products made in West Bank Settlements to your holiday.  As you share in Israel's joy we urge you to refrain from buying products from two well-known companies, Ahava and SodaStream, which obscure the fact that their products are made in Settlements by using the label "Made in Israel".  Yom HaAtzmaut is a modern story of national self-determination, and what better way to embody and live the experience of independent statehood than to stand up to the unjust policies of Occupation and Settlement in the West Bank that impede the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The Green Line between Israel and the West Bank/Gaza constitutes the geographic basis for a viable Israeli-Palestinian two-state compromise; four decades of Israeli Settlement expansion are destroying that basis.  Israel's Occupation and Settlement policies compromise Israel's character as a democratic Jewish-majority state, while undermining relations between Israel and the future Palestinian state.  These policies isolate Israel diplomatically in ways that are likely to have long-term security consequences.

For these and other reasons Meretz USA is promoting a boycott of Ahava and SodaStream products which are made in West Bank Settlements, not in Israel.  Don't let them mislead you: when it's made in the West Bank, it's not "Made in Israel".  Show your love of and support for Israel by buying products that truly are made in Israel.  Buy beauty and beverage products from Israel, don't buy beauty and beverage products from the Settlements; they are not the same.

• Ahava - Manufactures cosmetic products using minerals from the Dead Sea. The company factory and visitors' center are both located in the Israeli settlement of Mitzpe Shalem.

• SodaStream (The Soda Club Group) - Manufactures and distributes home carbonating devices and flavoringsfor soft drinks. The main plant of the company is located in the industrial zone of Mishor Adumim. Trademarks: SodaStream®, Soda-Club®, AlcoJet®, Sprudelino®, Aquabar®, Gazoz®, Aquafizz®, Aquabubbler®, Penguin®, Sodamaker® Fountain Jet®, and Edition1® 

If you know of any other beauty or beverage products that are produced in West Bank Settlements and sold in the U.S., e-mail us at mail@meretzusa.org and we will add them to the boycott list.