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nilram

(3,591 posts)
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 03:58 PM 12 hrs ago

Sodastream is on sale at a retailer I like, but...

their site also shows its produced in Israel. So glad I noticed. Any other good fizzy water makers out there?

58 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Sodastream is on sale at a retailer I like, but... (Original Post) nilram 12 hrs ago OP
It's too bad that some here apparently don't want others to be able FoxNewsSucks 12 hrs ago #1
It's too bad that some here apparently don't want others to be able nilram 12 hrs ago #2
You probably did, my comment was for the anonymous alerter. FoxNewsSucks 12 hrs ago #4
ah, thanks. Do posters see the alert? Or, you're on a team that handles them. nilram 12 hrs ago #8
I saw that too. Honestly, I had never thought to boycott companies other than US companies hlthe2b 12 hrs ago #11
I totally agree with you! I don't want to mucifer 12 hrs ago #7
Are you also boycotting products made in the U.S.? yardwork 11 hrs ago #31
Yes, I do sometimes boycott USA products if the company does thing like Soda Stream. We all make choices. I personally mucifer 11 hrs ago #36
What is SodaStream doing? yardwork 10 hrs ago #37
Here, let me help! Violet_Crumble 7 hrs ago #46
I certainly am Violet_Crumble 7 hrs ago #45
A quick google search turned up numerous alternatives TheProle 12 hrs ago #10
To ask if people know of alternatives is a way of saying I'm not buying the product. nilram 12 hrs ago #16
"To ask if people know of alternatives is a way of saying I'm not buying the product." TheProle 12 hrs ago #22
And to the same effect. Thanks. nilram 12 hrs ago #24
Well, except you have well-intentioned people TheProle 11 hrs ago #26
And I am considering -- and, notice, discussing -- those alternatives. nilram 11 hrs ago #29
That is baloney. choie 8 hrs ago #44
As I understand it, it's not only made in Israel... regnaD kciN 12 hrs ago #3
They moved operations Manatee 12 hrs ago #5
More reason to avoid them. FoxNewsSucks 12 hrs ago #6
Not true Fiendish Thingy 12 hrs ago #14
is it produced by their government? Skittles 12 hrs ago #9
Are company profits and employee salaries taxed by the government? nilram 12 hrs ago #12
the same could be said about America Skittles 12 hrs ago #15
Yes, and it is a broad brush. sheshe2 2 hrs ago #54
Israel is a great country and ally gulliver 12 hrs ago #13
Are they a "great" country right now under BiBi? TVguyCards 12 hrs ago #18
Thanks. The sodastream option looks like about 50-55 cents per liter, nilram 12 hrs ago #21
It is about dime a liter gulliver 11 hrs ago #32
Thanks! nilram 11 hrs ago #35
We buy a case of Trader Joe bottled club soda each visit. NewHendoLib 12 hrs ago #17
We add Diet Sprite to juice TxGuitar 12 hrs ago #19
Yeah. When I splurge on fresh-squeezed OJ (rarely, lately) I have it with some club soda hlthe2b 12 hrs ago #20
I love club soda and ice with a splash of OJ for my post gardening recovery! NewHendoLib 11 hrs ago #27
Yeah, that's what we do. They're about the cheapest. nilram 12 hrs ago #23
Aarke obamanut2012 11 hrs ago #25
Thanks, I'll check them out. nilram 11 hrs ago #28
Are you boycotting every product made in the U.S.? yardwork 11 hrs ago #30
excellent question, yardwork Skittles 11 hrs ago #33
Thanks. I'm interested in the reply. yardwork 11 hrs ago #34
yeah well Skittles 9 hrs ago #39
Is the US at fault for the destruction of Gaza? nilram 9 hrs ago #40
omfg Skittles 9 hrs ago #43
I'm boycotting any product, company, or service that benefits Trump or Israel. nilram 10 hrs ago #38
Boycotts are powerful tools. yardwork 9 hrs ago #41
No. I'm not so organized, systematic, or absolutist. nilram 9 hrs ago #42
That's like me! Violet_Crumble 3 hrs ago #51
Which tonic is that? progressoid 4 hrs ago #47
Whups, looking more closely, I don't find evidence for this. nilram 2 hrs ago #57
I had no idea they had that kind of manufacturing for export Melon 4 hrs ago #48
Apparently historically at exploitive wages. vanlassie 3 hrs ago #52
Is it anywhere near our minimum wage here in the US? sheshe2 2 hrs ago #56
Soda Stream is sold from an illegal Israeli settlement. Boycott!!! hookaleft 4 hrs ago #49
Sodastream moved their factory in 2015 Violet_Crumble 3 hrs ago #50
I wish somebody could tell me how to make vanlassie 3 hrs ago #53
You have one? sheshe2 1 hr ago #58
What other countries edhopper 2 hrs ago #55

FoxNewsSucks

(12,009 posts)
1. It's too bad that some here apparently don't want others to be able
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:02 PM
12 hrs ago

to spend their money where they want, for their own reasons.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
2. It's too bad that some here apparently don't want others to be able
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:04 PM
12 hrs ago

to discuss how they are spending their money.

I did not say you shouldn't. You may spend your money where you wish. But note -- DU is a DISCUSSION board. So I'm discussing.

(On edit: I'm probably misreading your intention. Wasn't aware there was push back elsewhere about this.)

FoxNewsSucks

(12,009 posts)
4. You probably did, my comment was for the anonymous alerter.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:08 PM
12 hrs ago

I try as much as possible to not buy from places whose politics hurt me and others. I don't see anything wrong with saying so.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
8. ah, thanks. Do posters see the alert? Or, you're on a team that handles them.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:12 PM
12 hrs ago

Feel like my posting was relatively innocuous -- not calling for a boycott, but making my own intentions known.

hlthe2b

(115,169 posts)
11. I saw that too. Honestly, I had never thought to boycott companies other than US companies
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:14 PM
12 hrs ago

that enable Trump's and other policies that I find to hurt this country. And, I probably wouldn't consider doing so against an Israeli company because my issue is with our (and their) governments, specifically Netanyahu's government--not their people.

That said, I do believe we have the right to use our money as we wish and that includes NOT purchasing from companies with which we have major longstanding disagreements as to how they conduct themselves or those they enable with their $$. And, like you, I DO believe we should be able to civilly discuss it here in such a manner that makes clear no one is promoting ethnic, racial, religious, or related bigotry. The latter is conflated far too often lately. sigh...

mucifer

(25,759 posts)
7. I totally agree with you! I don't want to
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:10 PM
12 hrs ago

Buy products made in Israel while Netanyahu and the government are doing what they are doing unless the company is clearly against their government.

mucifer

(25,759 posts)
36. Yes, I do sometimes boycott USA products if the company does thing like Soda Stream. We all make choices. I personally
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 05:51 PM
11 hrs ago

boycott Target, I try to not buy foods with palm oil and I am a vegan and boycott a whole lot of things because of my food choices.

We all make choices.

yardwork

(69,919 posts)
37. What is SodaStream doing?
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 05:59 PM
10 hrs ago

I wasn't aware that the company itself is doing bad things. I've read the entire thread so far and all I see is that SodaStream is a company based in Israel. If that's the extent of its wrong doing then isn't every company based in the U.S. equally at fault?

Violet_Crumble

(36,458 posts)
46. Here, let me help!
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 09:26 PM
7 hrs ago

If you click on this link, it will assist in learning about why Sodastream is being boycotted.

I'm not sure if yr request for information is genuine, but I'll take it at face value and give you a very lazy answer thanks to my buddy copilot (if it's good enough to use at work, it's good enough for something like this).

SodaStream is being boycotted primarily because of its **historic and ongoing links to Israeli settlement activity and alleged human‑rights violations**, according to multiple recent sources.

### 🧭 Core reason for the boycott
The boycott originates from the **Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)** movement, which began targeting SodaStream in 2011 because the company operated a major factory in **Ma’ale Adumim**, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. This settlement was built on the remains of several Palestinian villages, and economic activity there is considered illegal under international law. [cjpme.org](https://www.cjpme.org/fs_244)

### 📌 Key allegations behind the boycott
- **Operating in an illegal settlement *
SodaStream’s West Bank factory directly contributed to the settlement’s economy and benefited from tax breaks, cheap land, and lax labour oversight. [cjpme.org](https://www.cjpme.org/fs_244)

- **Exploitation of Palestinian labour *
Palestinian workers reported **inhumane conditions**, 12‑hour shifts, discriminatory permit systems, and fear of instant dismissal. One worker described feeling “humiliated” and “enslaved.” [cjpme.org](https://www.cjpme.org/fs_244)

- **Misleading marketing *
UK regulators were alerted in 2025 that SodaStream marketed itself as a symbol of “Jews and Arabs working side‑by‑side in peace,” despite evidence of discriminatory practices and broader human‑rights concerns. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/international-centre-of-justice-for-palestinians_pressrelease-palestine-freepalestine-activity-7394762287225532417-Obms)

- **Ongoing concerns after relocation *
Although SodaStream closed its West Bank factory in 2014–2015 due to international pressure, its new plant in the **Negev (Naqab)** is located near areas where **Bedouin communities have been forcibly displaced**. Activists argue the company still benefits from unjust land policies. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/international-centre-of-justice-for-palestinians_pressrelease-palestine-freepalestine-activity-7394762287225532417-Obms)

- **Continuing legal and ethical exposure *
Advocacy groups note that SodaStream’s past settlement operations and current location near displacement zones keep it tied to activities deemed unlawful by international legal bodies. [palestiniangenocide.org](https://palestiniangenocide.org/boycott/companies/sodastream/)

### 🧨 Why the boycott continues today
Even after relocating, SodaStream remains on boycott lists because critics argue the company is still **entangled in systems of occupation, discrimination, and forced displacement**, and because its marketing allegedly obscures these issues. Retailers in the UK and elsewhere have been urged to suspend sales pending ethical reviews. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/international-centre-of-justice-for-palestinians_pressrelease-palestine-freepalestine-activity-7394762287225532417-Obms)

There ya go. You don't have to agree with someone's decision to boycott, you could even make fun of that decision, but what there's absolutely no right to is to feel morally superior to someone who does boycott. In Sodastream's case it's very easy because it's total crap anyway. Much more difficult for me has to no longer buy anything from Weber

Violet_Crumble

(36,458 posts)
45. I certainly am
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 09:04 PM
7 hrs ago

Is there a problem with me boycotting US and Israeli goods and businesses? What I do with my money is no-one else's business but mine.

TheProle

(4,206 posts)
10. A quick google search turned up numerous alternatives
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:14 PM
12 hrs ago

as well as a lot of threads similar to yours. So if your goal is to legitimately find product, you should try searching "soda stream options not made in israel"; if your goal is advocacy, do continue...

nilram

(3,591 posts)
16. To ask if people know of alternatives is a way of saying I'm not buying the product.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:21 PM
12 hrs ago

That it is produced in Israel is news to me and the post was mainly about raising awareness. And promoting discussion.

TheProle

(4,206 posts)
22. "To ask if people know of alternatives is a way of saying I'm not buying the product."
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:49 PM
12 hrs ago

in fairness, so is forthrightly "I just heard sodastream is made in Israel and that's a dealbreaker for me. What do you all think?"

TheProle

(4,206 posts)
26. Well, except you have well-intentioned people
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:58 PM
11 hrs ago

taking time in good faith to offer alternatives, when you really just want to bash Israel.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
29. And I am considering -- and, notice, discussing -- those alternatives.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 05:15 PM
11 hrs ago

Both things are true. I don't like Israel, and I do like fizzy water. You'll see my expressions of both here.

choie

(7,108 posts)
44. That is baloney.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 08:38 PM
8 hrs ago

They're legitimately asking for alternatives. There's more blatant ways one can bash Israel, if so desired.

regnaD kciN

(27,751 posts)
3. As I understand it, it's not only made in Israel...
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:05 PM
12 hrs ago

…but in one of the illegal West Bank settlements.

sheshe2

(99,028 posts)
54. Yes, and it is a broad brush.
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 02:15 AM
2 hrs ago

Not everyone in Israel supports Netanyahu any more than all of us in the US supports our regime.

gulliver

(14,158 posts)
13. Israel is a great country and ally
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:17 PM
12 hrs ago

The most liberal, progressive, multi-cultural, multi-racial country in the ME by far. It's not even close.

Having said that, SodaStream is not the way to go. You will get better and cheaper seltzer by just going to Amazon and buying a few attachments to use with a standard, food grade 5 or 10 lb CO2 tank. Check YouTube. It's simple. It's what I do, and I get very fizzy water dirt cheap.

TVguyCards

(76 posts)
18. Are they a "great" country right now under BiBi?
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:25 PM
12 hrs ago

Also, the "ally" part. They sure are a great ally, for Trump's fascism. After all. Bibi is called "The Trump of The Middle East".

nilram

(3,591 posts)
21. Thanks. The sodastream option looks like about 50-55 cents per liter,
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:49 PM
12 hrs ago

about half of my regular price. I've been debating this forever because of the cost-versus-counter space debate. If we're talking a dime a liter, you've tipped me over the edge. I'll check out YouTube and elsewhere.

Can't disagree with your statement on Israel, though if you include expats, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar would outstrip their multi-cultural & multi-racial stats. Though I do object to their liberal interpretation of their own borders, their liberal use of bombs, tanks, and snipers, and their progressive destruction of Gaza.

gulliver

(14,158 posts)
32. It is about dime a liter
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 05:40 PM
11 hrs ago

Paid for itself pretty fast. You do have to front for the CO2 tank the first time, but it is exchangeable afterward. One gotcha is that if you wait too long to use up a tank, they'll hit you up with an inspection fee when you exchange it.

I started doing this maybe 10 years ago. At that time, the SodaStream looked like it was going to require me to constantly buy or refill their CO2 containers. I go through about a liter per day on average. So that's a lot of CO2. I ended up getting a 10 lb tank, and it has lasted me probably 4 years and still has a pretty good charge.

Also, I don't think The SodaStream used let you easily decide for yourself how fizzy you want the water. I like it very fizzy. SodaStream may have improved by now.

Good luck!

hlthe2b

(115,169 posts)
20. Yeah. When I splurge on fresh-squeezed OJ (rarely, lately) I have it with some club soda
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:42 PM
12 hrs ago

Since I tend to live on black coffee, unsweetened green tea and water, it is the one semi-sweet/reasonably healthy drink I enjoy.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
23. Yeah, that's what we do. They're about the cheapest.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 04:53 PM
12 hrs ago

I just would like it to be cheaper . I do like gulliver's suggestion in post 13 here, about finding somewhat do-it-yourself options on YouTube.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
40. Is the US at fault for the destruction of Gaza?
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 07:05 PM
9 hrs ago

I'd say yes. Are they the prime motivator? Would Gaza be destroyed if Israel didn't want it? I don't think so.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
38. I'm boycotting any product, company, or service that benefits Trump or Israel.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 06:19 PM
10 hrs ago

Includes my favorite tonic water, which was a sponsor of his inauguration, a comic I like, even though it's not quite confirmed he's a Trumper, Amazon, haven't used it in months. We all know there are ways to use our consumer influence, no matter how minor that may be.

yardwork

(69,919 posts)
41. Boycotts are powerful tools.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 07:11 PM
9 hrs ago

The boycott you are undertaking - "any product, company, or service that benefits Trump or Israel" - is ambitious indeed.

There is hardly any large company in this nation that isn't benefiting Trump. Many of them are paying bribes (donations) directly to him. Others are propping him up in various ways.

Will you share your list of acceptable vendors? I'm sure that many DUers look forward to using it.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
42. No. I'm not so organized, systematic, or absolutist.
Wed Jun 24, 2026, 07:20 PM
9 hrs ago

We each have to work out how to follow our own morals. My moral compass points away from genocide, that's all.

Violet_Crumble

(36,458 posts)
51. That's like me!
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 01:22 AM
3 hrs ago

Because of the tariffs I try to avoid as many US products as possible, but it's virtually impossible to be absolutist about it. I'm going to the US next February to watch the Rugby League in Las Vegas, and figure I'm going to California and Nevada, so my money is going into states where there aren't fucking crazy lunatics in charge.

The word nuanced comes to mind in this thread again when it comes to boycotting Israel. Many years ago I go to see Ilan Pappe talk at the ANU (Australian National University). He spoke about how he felt about international academic boycotts of Israeli scholars. No way would I boycott him, but if it's some extremist loony who justifies the murder of civilians, then they're on my shit-list. I'll definitely refuse to buy anything that comes from illegal settlements in the West Bank, and I'll boycott any Israeli company that aids in the abuse of Palestinians. No apologies, and I'm fucked if I'm going to sit there justifying it to random internet people who don't understand or care about genocide.

nilram

(3,591 posts)
57. Whups, looking more closely, I don't find evidence for this.
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 02:49 AM
2 hrs ago

Doesn't seem the two founders or the company are on the donor rolls. I'll look further, but maybe I can go back to Fever Tree.

Melon

(1,881 posts)
48. I had no idea they had that kind of manufacturing for export
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 12:46 AM
4 hrs ago

The crazy thing is that Israel employs Palestinians.

sheshe2

(99,028 posts)
56. Is it anywhere near our minimum wage here in the US?
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 02:48 AM
2 hrs ago
The federal minimum wage in the United States has been stagnant at $7.25/hour for 15 years, since it was last increased on July 24, 2009

hookaleft

(1,272 posts)
49. Soda Stream is sold from an illegal Israeli settlement. Boycott!!!
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 12:50 AM
4 hrs ago

Why is Sodastream a BDS target?
The principal manufacturing plant for the SodaStream Drinksmaker
is located in an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.
The settlement, called Ma’ale Adumim, is built on land stolen from
Palestinians and is one of the largest in the West Bank. It is built on
the remains of seven Palestinian villages, which were destroyed so
that it could be built.
This particular land theft is considered ‘the largest single
expropriation in the history of the Israeli occupation.’ (Who Profits:
The Israeli Occupation Industry)
The SodaStream plant brings financial benefits to Ma’ale Adumim
and helps to cement the occupation through the economic
strengthening of the settlement.
Municipal tax paid by SodaStream goes to the Ma’ale Adumim
Municipality, which uses these funds solely to support the growth

https://palestinecampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/The-case-against-SodaStream.pdf

Violet_Crumble

(36,458 posts)
50. Sodastream moved their factory in 2015
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 01:11 AM
3 hrs ago

And it was because of the pressure. The problem is the new one was built inside Israel, but on land in the Negev that Bedouin tribes (Israelis) had been forcibly expelled from by the Israeli government. It's a very morally stinky company, and their product sucks anyway.

vanlassie

(6,299 posts)
53. I wish somebody could tell me how to make
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 01:44 AM
3 hrs ago

San Pellegrino water. I’m spending a fortune on it since I discovered how crisp and delicious it is. I’m so much better hydrated for the first time in my 74 years.

sheshe2

(99,028 posts)
58. You have one?
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 03:00 AM
1 hr ago

Why does it suck?

Mine is about 15 years old and still going strong. I love it and use it every day for seltzer only, I hate soda.

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