Soft drink giant under fire for advertisement in Bangladesh distancing the brand from Israel and falsely claiming it has a factory “in Palestine.”
By World Israel News Staff
The soft drink giant Coca-Cola has come under fire after the company introduced an advertisement which critics say is misleading at best, if not outright dishonest – in addition to angering supporters of Israel worldwide.
Following the October 7th invasion of Israel and the subsequent war between the Jewish state and the Hamas terror organization, Coca-Cola has faced growing calls for boycotts in Muslim-majority countries around the world, with anti-Israel activists citing the company’s operations in Israel.
In an effort to curtail further losses, Coca-Cola has launched local advertising campaigns in a number of predominantly Muslim markets, including a 60-second video commercial run in Bangladesh, where local media has reported a 23% decline in Coca-Cola sales since October 7th.
The ad, which debuted on Sunday on television and social media, features a shopkeeper speaking with potential customers, combating “misinformation” about the soft drink brand.
Coca-Cola, the man claims “has been enjoyed for 138 years by people in 190 countries,” including ” Turkey, Spain and Dubai, and it is “not at all from that place,” referring to questions by customers regarding the company’s ties to Israel.
To further add to the brand’s pro-Palestinian bona fides, the shopkeeper claims Coca-Cola “also has a factory in Palestine.”
While the company does operate a facility in Atarot, an industrial zone in eastern Jerusalem’s panhandle near Ramallah – an area which has in the past been included in final status plans for a Palestinian state.
The area has been under full Israeli control since 1967 and, as part of the city of Jerusalem, is under Israeli sovereignty.
The ad not only irked Israel supporters outside of Bangladesh who learned of the commercial, but also drew fire from locals who noted the factual inconsistencies, including pro-Palestinian advocates.
“This is an utterly insensitive and false statement,” market researcher Nadia Tabassum Khan said, according to Al Jazeera. “It’s an insult to the millions of Palestinians who for long have been losing lands due to Israel’s forceful occupation.”