Seeing SodaStream For Myself

This opinion piece by HR’s Managing Editor Simon Plosker is republished from The Times of Israel

SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum (r) with Simon Plosker

I’d given up all carbonated drinks over a decade ago (sorry Coke and Pepsi… and SodaStream) so I have no brand loyalty when it comes to SodaStream or any other sparkling beverage. But thanks to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and Oxfam, SodaStream has become the latest flash-point in the demonization campaign against Israel.

So, despite the fact that Scarlett Johansson was not going to be there, I jumped at the opportunity to visit SodaStream’s factory in Mishor Adumim, some ten minutes outside Jerusalem.

I joined a group of some 40 journalists representing media outlets from across the globe, all of them drawn to a story that has received a remarkable amount of attention in recent days.

It has it all – the glamorous movie star, a dispute with a major “human rights” organization, controversy over Israeli “settlements,” an international boycott campaign, a Super Bowl ad. What more could you want from a story involving Israelis and Palestinians?

Here is a company that was not only promoting less sugary beverages and environmentalism, but also promotes peace between peoples by creating workplace coexistence.

A cacophony of noise from machinery greeted us as we entered the factory work space. Dozens of workers sitting at production lines manually putting together the familiar bottles and soda-making machines found in homes around the world. The media pack was literally let loose in the factory to roam with microphones and cameras in hand with no restrictions on who to grab for an interview or comment.

Read the full article here.

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