logo
Donate
    • Magazine
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Justice
    • Collections
    • Glossary
  • Climate Justice
  • Health Justice
  • Leadership
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Magazine
  • Webinars
  • Membership
  • Submissions

NGO in Israel Demands Coca-Cola Boycott the Boycotters

Martin Levine
June 18, 2015
Coca-Cola-wall
Luciano Mortula / Shutterstock.com

June 16, 2015; Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post in its June 16th edition reported that the Tel Aviv-based NGO Shurat HaDin (the Israel Law Center) has called upon Coca Cola to revoke its franchise agreements with the Palestinian National Beverage Company. At issue are comments made by the bottler’s CEO that viewed BDS (Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions) as ways to peacefully pressure Israel into a peace treaty with the Palestinians.

According to its website, Shurat HaDin was formed in 2003 to stop “the flow of money to terrorists through the use of civil suits and other legal means” and achieve “justice and compensation for terror victims from terrorist organizations, their sponsors, and the financial institutions that aid and abet their criminal activities.” In a statement, Shurat HaDin charged:

“Zahi Khouri, PNBC’s CEO…has supported the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement against Israel and made other incendiary comments against the Jewish state. He made his support for BDS clear in an Orlando Sentinel op-ed piece in September 2014 where he said that ‘the nonviolent efforts of BDS advocates make sense as a means to force Israel to recognize that the occupation is not cost-free.’ He has called for compensation for Palestinian refugees, a notoriously anti-peace position. Khouri has also made patently false and incendiary statements accusing Israel of stealing Palestinian land and culture and comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa and he has accused Israel of stealing Palestinian history and culture.”

Mr. Khoury, who is active in Breaking the Impasse, an initiative that brings Israeli and Palestinian business leaders into dialogue in search of a peaceful solutions to the decades-long conflict, wrote the op-ed in question in the wake of last summer’s Gaza conflict. He reflected on his frustration with the continued stalemate and the impact of the war on the people of Gaza:

Sign up for our free newsletters

Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

“We made so little progress (in the Breaking the Impasse effort) that I am now contemplating whether the supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement will achieve more. I wholeheartedly support the newest Palestinian initiative to buy local products rather than the Israeli products that flood our markets. In the absence of serious negotiations, the nonviolent efforts of BDS advocates make sense as a means to force Israel to recognize that the occupation is not cost-free.”

And with these words, Shurat HaDin says, a line was crossed. In a letter to Muhtar Kent, Coca-Cola’s CEO, Shurat HaDin’s president demanded “the Coca-Cola Company…should rescind its franchise agreement with the Palestinian National Beverage Company, headed by Zahi Khouri, who openly advocates for BDS against Israel. The Coca-Cola Company should not affiliate itself with any person or entity calling for a boycott or similar effort against the Israeli government or the nation’s manufacturers, companies, products or services.”

Mr. Khouri has been long been active in efforts to strengthen the Palestinian economy and in support of establishing an independent Palestinian state. He recently accepted the Oslo Business for Peace Award.

This challenge to multinational Coca-Cola comes just weeks after the French telecommunications company Orange was embroiled in a similar controversy. The Guardian reported that the company’s CEO, Stéphane Richard, “indicated that it intends to terminate its relationship with the Israeli company that licenses its brand in the country—and would end the relationship ‘tomorrow’ if it could.” After a strong backlash to the comments, Mr. Richard apologized for his comments, made in Egypt earlier this month, and travelled to the Jewish state last week to explain himself in a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.

While neither Coca-Cola nor Mr. Khouri has responded to Shurat HaDin’s accusation and demand, the action by Shurat HaDin has placed a spotlight on the BDS effort and the possible costs for its advocates.—Marty Levine

About the author
Martin Levine

Martin Levine is a Principal at Levine Partners LLP, a consulting group focusing on organizational change and improvement, realigning service systems to allow them to be more responsive and effective. Before that, he served as the CEO of JCC Chicago, where he was responsible for the development of new facilities in response to the changing demography of the Metropolitan Jewish Community. In addition to his JCC responsibilities, Mr. Levine served as a consultant on organizational change and improvement to school districts and community organizations. Mr. Levine has published several articles on change and has presented at numerous conferences on this subject. A native of New York City, Mr. Levine is a graduate of City College of New York (BS in Biology) and Columbia University (MSW). He has trained with the Future Search and the Deming Institute.

More about: ActivismCorporate Social ResponsibilityNonprofit NewsPolicyReligious / Faith-Based

Our Voices Are Our Power.

Journalism, nonprofits, and multiracial democracy are under attack. At NPQ, we fight back by sharing stories and essential insights from nonprofit leaders and workers—and we pay every contributor.

Can you help us protect nonprofit voices?

Your support keeps truth alive when it matters most.
Every single dollar makes a difference.

Donate now
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

You might also like
Block, Bridge, and Build: A Framework to Forge a More Democratic Future
Julia Roig
“Advocacy Works”: Nonprofit Status-Stripping Measure Dropped from Republican Budget
Isaiah Thompson
Madeleine L’Engle’s Books Were Never Meant to Be “Safe”
Charlotte Jones Voiklis
As Long as Social Media Is Around, Can We Really Break Free of Overconsumption?
Anmol Irfan
As Neoliberalism Crashes, What Comes Next?
Steve Dubb
Beyond Wishful Thinking: How to Build Lasting Youth Political Infrastructure
Katie Kirchner

Upcoming Webinars

Group Created with Sketch.
May 27th, 2:00 pm ET

Ask the Nonprofit Lawyer

Register
Group Created with Sketch.
June 26th, 2:00 pm ET

From Performance Management to Mutual Commitment

Fostering a Culture of Joyful Accountability

Register

    
You might also like
A multi-use steel arch bridge crosses a river not far a campground.
Block, Bridge, and Build: A Framework to Forge a More...
Julia Roig
A view of the US Capitol against a blue sky.
“Advocacy Works”: Nonprofit Status-Stripping Measure...
Isaiah Thompson
An outstretched hand holds an open paperback book with a black and red cover. Flames and sparks come from the pages of the book and smoke fills the night sky around it.
Madeleine L’Engle’s Books Were Never Meant to Be...
Charlotte Jones Voiklis

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Donate
  • Editorial Policy
  • Funders

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.