Actress Confirms Commitment to Apartheid and Ethnic Cleansing by Resigning as Ambassador for Goodwill and Peace in Favor of Company that Illegally Confiscates Land of Indigenous Peoples while posing as Ec0-Friendly Company
Yesterday, Scarlett Johansson announced that she is ending her relationship with a humanitarian group after being criticized over her support for Soda Stream, an Israeli company that operates illegally in the West Bank on confiscated lands of the indigenous populations.
A statement released by Johansson’s spokesman Wednesday said the 29-year-old actress has “a fundamental difference of opinion” with Oxfam International because the humanitarian group opposes all trade from Israeli settlements, saying they are illegal and deny Palestinian rights.
“Scarlett Johansson has respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years,” the statement said. “She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam.”
Earlier this month, “The Avengers” and “Her” actress signed on as the first global brand ambassador of SodaStream International Ltd., and she’s set to appear in an ad for the at-home soda maker during the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.
SodaStream has come under fire from pro-Indigenous peoples activists for maintaining a large factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the indigenous peoples.
In response to the criticism, Johansson said last week she was a “supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine.”
Oxfam took issue with Johansson, noting it was “considering the implications of her new statement and what it means for Ms. Johansson’s role as an Oxfam global ambassador.”
Johansson had served as a global ambassador for Oxfam since 2007, raising funds and promoting awareness about global poverty. In her role as an Oxfam ambassador, she traveled to India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya to highlight the impact of traumatic disasters and chronic poverty.
Yesterday, OXFAM sent an email to VT saying that they were reviewing Johansson’s relationship with their organization. So appears that Johansson may have just decided to job on and double down on her commitment to Eretz Israel and Zionism, further separating herself from the dignity of man, justice, and liberty for all in favor of profits and her ideological commitment to the bigoted, racist and imperial tenants of Zionism.
Oxfam representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. However, I am sure we will hear from them later today. And VT has repeatedly attempted to contact Scarlett Johansson for her to respond in her own words and not the words of her lawyers. Of course, nothing!
UPDATED AT 12:34 pm EST Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014
OXFAM RESPONDS TO VETERANS TODAY
“Oxfam has accepted Scarlett Johansson’s decision to step down after eight years as a Global Ambassador and we are grateful for her many contributions.
While Oxfam respects the independence of our ambassadors, Ms. Johansson’s role in promoting the company SodaStream is incompatible with her role as an Oxfam Global Ambassador.
Oxfam believes that businesses, such as SodaStream, that operate in settlements further the ongoing poverty and denial of rights of the Palestinian communities that we work to support.
Oxfam is opposed to all trade from Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. Ms. Johansson has worked with Oxfam since 2005 and in 2007 became a Global Ambassador, helping to highlight the impact of natural disasters and raise funds to save lives and fight poverty.”
Mark Goldring, Chief Executive
Oxfam GB, Oxfam House
