Johannson lauded for quitting Oxfam
AUSTRALIAN Jewish leaders have praised actress Scarlett Johansson for quitting her role as a global ambassador for Oxfam after the charity censured her for becoming the new face of Israeli company SodaStream.
AUSTRALIAN Jewish leaders have praised actress Scarlett Johansson for quitting her role as a global ambassador for Oxfam after the charity censured her for becoming the new face of Israeli company SodaStream.
The Hollywood star announced last week she was stepping down from the humanitarian aid organisation.
Her decision followed claims by Oxfam that the company, which runs a factory near the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, was contributing to the “ongoing poverty and denial of rights of the Palestinians”.
Stating she was “very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam,” Johansson said last Wednesday that she and the charity had “a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement”.
Prior to resigning, the actress had said SodaStream was “building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine, supporting neighbours working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights.”
During Sunday’s Super Bowl, Johansson was watched by millions globally, appearing in an advertisement promoting the Israeli company.
Accepting her resignation, Oxfam, which had been pressured to remove her from her position by a number of pro-Palestinian groups, stated that her SodaStream role was “incompatible” with her Oxfam role.
Praising Johansson for taking a “principled stance”, Executive Council of Australian Jewry public affairs officer Alex Ryvchin said, “This incident will sharpen the focus on politicised human rights organisations whose obsession with Israel is at the expense of genuine humanitarian issues … It’s also a massive blow for BDS.
“Scarlett Johansson’s … support for cooperation and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians will grate against the ears of supporters of BDS who only care about breeding division and hatred.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said, “Scarlett Johansson should be warmly commended for taking a principled, courageous stand against anti-Israel activists and their bullying tactics.
“Johansson’s statement defending her association with SodaStream … is a poignant rejection of the BDS movement, which seeks to delegitimise Israel’s very existence – and a reality check for Oxfam, a humanitarian organisation which has unfortunately often allowed anti-Israel activists to divert it from its admirable core work of helping people in need.
“SodaStream employs hundreds of Palestinians in its Mishor Adumim factory, and has been praised by its workers for fostering a workplace of respect, where Israelis and Palestinians work together and receive equal pay and equal benefits.”
Commending Johannson for her “courageous decision”, Zionist Federation of Australia president Philip Chester said, “Palestinian workers themselves have come out in opposition to a proposed boycott
stating that the company provides high wages and is committed to their labour rights.”
Insisting “We do not support boycotts of any country, including Israel” a spokesperson for Oxfam Australia told The AJN, “Oxfam does not provide funding for promotion of the BDS movement.”
ZEDDY LAWRENCE
Scarlett Johansson with SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum.
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