The Israeli embassy in the US has voiced support for Scarlett Johansson’s Super Bowl ad for SodaStream, tweeting, “Love this. & Scarlett Johansson.”
This endorsement followed a wave of controversy surrounding Johansson’s role in the ad. Oxfam, an international charity where Johansson served as an ambassador for eight years, criticized her involvement due to SodaStream’s operations in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
SodaStream manufactures devices for making carbonated drinks but has faced backlash from pro-Palestinian activists because of its factory locations in these disputed territories.
Oxfam has condemned companies operating in such settlements, arguing that they contribute to the ongoing poverty and rights violations of Palestinian communities.
“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,” the organization stated, according to The Guardian.
In response to the criticism, Johansson resigned as an Oxfam ambassador, citing “a fundamental difference of opinion” regarding the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
Super Bowl commercials are highly coveted, with a one-minute slot costing up to $4 million, making this debate a matter of political and social importance and significant in the advertising world.
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