.Oxfam International’s Global Ambassador Scarlett
Johansson has recently become the Global Brand Ambassador for SodaStream, an occupation profiteer that maintains a factory on an illegal settlement in the West Bank. SodaStream
exploits Palestinian land, labor, and resources, and is complicit in
the brutal occupation of the Palestinian land. Such corporate complicity
in human rights violations is a crime under international law.
ADC President, Samer Khalaf, stated in a letter sent to Raymond Offenheiser,
Oxfam America President, "While you have stated that you oppose all
trade from Israeli settlements, there has yet to be any tangible action
on this matter. In October 2012, Oxfam Italy cut its ties with Paola
Maugeri over her role as a SodaStream PR Ambassador. You also
dropped Kristin Davis in 2009 when she became a spokesperson for a
company that manufactured cosmetics in illegal Israeli settlements.
Scarlett Johansson should not be an exception to the rule."
In the written statement
published on Oxfam’s website, Oxfam said: “We have made our concerns
know to Ms. Johannsson and we are now engaged in a dialogue on these
important matters… Oxfam is opposed to all trade from Israeli
settlements, which are illegal under international law.”
However,
despite making a statement saying that they oppose all trade from
Israeli settlements, Oxfam has chosen to keep Scarlett Johansson as
their Ambassador, in spite of the fact that she is explicitly promoting
trade from illegal Israeli settlements.
Oxfam
says that it respects the independence of their ambassadors. Yet, how
can one truly be an ambassador for justice and human rights, but also
advocate for a company that exploits an indigenous population? In the
American legal practice this would be considered a clear conflict of
interest: a definitively unethical position to maintain. One simply
cannot simultaneously advocate for human right and human exploitation.
Please take action to stop this hypocrisy before SodaStream's airs its advertisements to millions at the Super Bowl!
- Learn more about the campaign to End the Occupation.
- Contact Oxfam’s President and tell him to drop Scarlett Johansson as their Global Ambassador
- Join ThunderClap Campaign and Tweet to Oxfam
- Sign the petition to urge Scarlett to end her relationship with SodaStream
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