SodaStream Israel, a favorite target of the BDS Israel boycott
movement, must remove a video commercial in Britain because it allegedly
disparages other soda manufacturers.
SodaStream manufactures and distributes machines for home use to make
carbonated drinks, eliminating the need to buy environmentally
unfriendly plastic bottles.
It also operates a plant in Mishor Adumim, located between Jerusalem
and the Dead Sea, an area claimed by the Palestinian Authority.
The factory is considered a political and moral sin by the BDS
movement, which also promotes the boycott of Motorola, Naot footwear and
Ahava products -- all because their plants, which employ Arabs, are
located beyond the 1949 Temporary Armistice Lines drawn by the United
Nations after the Arab world failed to annihilate the fledgling Jewish
State.
Arutz Sheva asked SodaStream if an anti-Israel sentiment was behind the ban, but company officials have not responded.
Britain, which formerly has banned Ministry of Tourism ads for daring
to show that Jerusalem is part of Israel, now has pulled the video
commercial off the air, allegedly because it ridicules companies such as
Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
The 30-second commercial shows soft drink bottles disappearing while people at home use their SodaStream machines.
“With SodaStream you can save 1,000 bottles per year,” says the commercial.
British authorities do not buy it. Despite the pro-environment
message, they argue that unfairly disparages bottled drink
manufacturers, although the United States, Australia and even
boycott-strong Sweden have allowed the ad to go on the air.
Here's the commercial.
Let's go to the videotape.
Funny - I don't see any other soft drink company mentioned there. Hmmm.
South African Advertising Standards Authority okays reference to Israel as 'apartheid state'
The South African Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that an advertisement, which refers to Israel as an 'apartheid state' like apartheid South Africa, is not 'untrue,' is not 'unsupported by the evidence,' and does not 'contain a lie that amounts to propaganda.'
This afternoon, in a bold ruling defending the right to freedom of expression and political speech, the South African media watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), unequivocally dismissed all complaints relating to a radio advert on 5fm that called for the boycott of Israel and compared Israel to Apartheid South Africa.
In February this year, during the South African tour of the international dance band, Faithless, a radio message featuring Dave Randall (lead guitarist of Faithless) was broadcast on the popular SABC radio station, 5fm. The advert was in support of a local group, the South African Artists Against Apartheid collective. In the advert Randall says:
“Hi, I’m Dave Randall from Faithless. Twenty years ago I would not have played in apartheid South Africa; today I refuse to play in Israel. Be on the right side of history. Don’t entertain apartheid. Join the international boycott of Israel. I support southafricanartistsagainstapartheid.com.”
In an official complaint to the ASA, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) attacked the radio advert and alleged that the view expressed that Israel is an Apartheid State is “untrue, not supported by any evidence… and contains a lie which amounts to false propaganda”.
The SAJBD sought an order requesting the SABC to apologise for broadcasting the radio advert.
Today the ASA dismissed each and every complaint made by the SAJBD against the advert and instead ruled in favor of the submissions made by SA Artists Against Apartheid, who were represented by Webber Wentzel Attorneys. The ASA also refused to provide any sanctions in favor of the SAJBD.
Note that the sign on the apartheid beach at the top of this post is from Durban, South Africa, and not from Tel Aviv. We don't have beaches like that. And this is what our hospitals look like:
Needless to say, the pro-'Palestinian' groups are pleased.
South African Palestine solidarity and human rights groups have celebrated the ASA ruling claiming it as a "legal victory" for the boycott of Israel movement. Fatima Vally from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Working Group said in a press release:
"This is the second major boycott of Israel decision coming from South Africa in less than six months. The first being the historic decision by the University of Johannesburg to sever its Israeli ties. The boycott of Israel campaign is the new Anti-Apartheid Movement, and its growing rapidly."
What could go wrong?
(Question for the South Africans: Is Reggae DJ Andy Kasrils (quoted in the second-linked post) related to Jewish anti-Semitic cabinet minister Ronnie Kasrils?
Jaffa, is a Palestinian Arab city, which lies in the West central of Palestine, on the Mediterranean Sea. Jaffa is military occupied by Israel since 1948, and is part of the unified city Tel Aviv-Yafo since 1950.
Founded by the Canaanites in the 18 th century B.C.E., Jaffa has been historically important largely because of its port (which was closed in 1965 to merchant shipping, when the port of Ashdod was completed). The small old port is used as a fishing harbour and became an international marina. The Canaanites named the city Jaffa which meant the beautiful.
...
In 1947 and 1948 there was sharp fighting in Jaffa, which was largely inhabited by Arabs, and the adjoining Jewish city of Tel Aviv. On the 13th of May 1948 (A day before the proclamation of the State of Israel), the Arab forces in Jaffa were defeated after long fighting with the Zionist underground Haganah and Irgun Zva’i Leumi forces, and the city was occupied by these Zionist Bands.
Today, Palestinian Arabs constitute about 25,000 inhabitants out of a total of 35,000 people. Jaffa has an old fishing harbour, modern boat docks, and a tourism centre. Jaffa is a major tourist attraction with an exciting combination of old, new and restored buildings.
So which is it? Are they claiming all of the current State of Israel, which contradicts their professed desire for a 'two-state solution'? Or are they trying to go back to the 1947 partition lines, which were rejected by the Arabs?
British Advertising Standards Authority bans 'Palestinian' ad
The British Advertising Standards Authority has banned a tourism ad for 'Palestine' as misleading. I first discussed the ad here. This is from the first link.
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has finally issued its ruling following many complaints. While the ASA did not agree with all of the issues raised by us and a number of other organizations, it did, however, rule the advert to be misleading on the following grounds:
We considered, however, that the line “From the famous cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus, and Gaza … Palestine lies between …” suggested that the situation and recognition of those cities as being part of Palestine was universally accepted. Because that was not the case, we concluded that the ad was misleading.
The ASA concluded:
The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Travel Palestine to ensure their ads did not suggest that it was universally accepted that locations were part of Palestine when that was not the case.
So it seems that the ASA is consistent in its view that while Jerusalem may not be part of Palestine, it is also not part of Israel. Unsurprising considering that the ASA previously, in an appalling decision, forced the Israel Government Tourist Office to withdraw an ad that featured Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, effectively banning Israel from including the Western Wall in any tourism advertising.
Nonetheless, in the face of the increasing delegitimization campaign against Israel that has taken hold in the UK, the ASA’s latest adjudication will go down as a small victory in a much wider struggle.
British Advertising Standards Authority investigating 'Palestine' ad
Britain's Advertising Standards Authority has launched an investigation into an advertisement published in National Geographic's Traveler Magazine that implies that 'Palestine' runs from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media, told The Jerusalem Post on Friday that in the last few days it had received 60 complaints about the advert – published by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, “the official website for tourism in Palestine” – which appeared in National Geographic’s Traveller magazine.
“I can confirm that the ASA has received 60 complaints about the Travel Palestine ad that appeared in the National Geographic magazine,” an ASA spokesman told the Post. “I can also confirm that the ASA has launched a formal investigation into the ad.”
According to the ad, “Palestine lies between the Mediterranean coast and Jordan River, at the crossroads between Africa and Middle East.”
“If you consult the map of this region you will see that this is like describing Portugal as lying between the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean,” said London lawyer David Lewis in a letter to the ASA. “At the very least it implies that ‘Palestine’ has a Mediterranean coastline; but while this is true as regards to Gaza, that territory is not within the de facto jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.
“More seriously, it implies that Palestine occupies the whole or the bulk of the territory between the Mediterranean and the Jordan, ignoring the existence of Israel.”
Similar complaints have been filed against Israel in the past by the 'Palestinians' and their supporters. It will be interesting to see whether 'Palestine' is similarly forced to withdraw its advertisements.
Here's an ad for tourism to 'Palestine' that appears in Traveler Magazine, which is owned by National Geographic:
If you live in England, you can complain about this ad (even though it's in an American magazine) to the Advertising Standards Authority. Similar complaints have been filed against Israel in the past by the 'Palestinians' and their supporters.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
