PepsiCo’s SodaStream Purchase Is Sweet News for Israelis

Israel is riding a string of good economic news lately, including credit upgrades by S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investor Service. But the purchase of SodaStream by PepsiCo for $3.2 billion is viewed by many Israelis as a moral victory.

SodaStream is the most famous economic target of a Palestinian organization known as Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions (BDS). The group’s goal is to turn Israel into an international pariah among investors and tourists. Overall, it hasn’t had much luck. Occasionally, BDS pressure results in a second-tier performing artist cancelling a show in Tel Aviv. It frightens Hillel directors on American college campuses and energizes anti-boycott fundraisers, but that’s mainly small beer.