A local petition campaign has been launched targeting the sale of SodaStream products in Calgary and Edmonton, calling on retailers to stop carrying items manufactured in factories located in occupied Palestinian territories. The petition, organized by community activists, identifies specific stores in both cities that carry the products and urges consumers to pressure retailers to find alternative suppliers.
SodaStream, the Israeli-based manufacturer of home carbonation systems, has been a focal point of international consumer boycott campaigns due to the location of its primary manufacturing facility in the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim in the occupied West Bank. The company has faced sustained pressure from human rights organizations and consumer groups worldwide.
The Local Campaign
The Calgary and Edmonton petition specifically lists major retailers carrying SodaStream products, including department stores and kitchen specialty shops in both cities. Organizers say they have gathered hundreds of signatures and plan to present the petition to store managers and corporate offices.
“Consumers have a right to know where their products come from and under what conditions they are made,” said petition organizer Nadia Halawi. “We are asking retailers to make an ethical choice — there are plenty of alternative products that are not manufactured in occupied territory.”
The Broader Debate
The petition is part of a broader international movement known as BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions), which calls for economic pressure on Israel over its treatment of Palestinians and its settlement policies. Supporters argue that consumer boycotts are a legitimate and peaceful form of protest. Critics counter that such campaigns unfairly single out Israel and can discourage economic cooperation that benefits both Israeli and Palestinian workers.
SodaStream has previously defended its West Bank factory, noting that it employs both Israeli and Palestinian workers and provides wages and benefits above the local standard. However, in 2015, the company relocated its primary manufacturing operations from the West Bank to a new facility in southern Israel, a move that supporters of the boycott campaign cited as evidence of the campaign’s effectiveness.
The petition remains open for signatures and organizers plan to continue their retail outreach campaign through the fall.
Copyright 2014 WestNet-HD Action News
