We are human rights activists who are writing with great concern about the partnership of Le Cordon Bleu with SodaStream, the Israeli manufacturer of carbonation devices and soda syrup. We know that Le Cordon Bleu has a longstanding worldwide reputation for its high standards in teaching the finest cooking techniques and in creating the greatest recipes. Surely it would not want to be associated with a company that is complicit in, and profits from, Israel’s violation of Palestinian rights.
As individuals and organizations that care about human rights, we are deeply concerned that Le Cordon Bleu has partnered with the Israeli company SodaStream. SodaStream’s association with Israel’s apartheid practices, as detailed in the recent letter to Le Cordon Bleu, has made it the target of an international boycott campaign. From 1996 until September 2015, SodaStream operated in the occupied West Bank in direct violation of international law. Its move to the Naqab will contribute to the Israeli government’s practice of displacing Palestinian Bedouins and confiscating their land and natural resources. We therefore call on Le Cordon Bleu to refuse to be complicit in Israeli violations of Palestinian rights and international law, and immediately end its partnership with SodaStream.
The Boycott Israel’s BDS (Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions) efforts continue to advance on campuses and in Europe.
It’s not certain, though, that this video will contribute much positively to that momentum.
What’s interesting is that SodaStream, in addition to promoting coexistence when its factories were in the West Bank, has now moved all of its facilities into pre-1967 Israel – only to be targeted by the BDS movement.
This will not be lost on other Israeli companies as they decide how to proceed with locating their production facilities.
Join Adalah-NY this Sunday at the south side of Union Square (14th and Broadway). In small groups, we will visit stores that stock and sell SodaStream and let owners and managers know why they should stop.
