LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- In the same week that Fox decided to ban Scarlett Johansson's SodaStream ad because it pokes fun at Coke and Pepsi, the Her actress resigned from her role as an Oxfam ambassador.
Johansson defended her relationship with SodaStream last Friday, after she was criticized for working with a company that operates a factory on an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.
On Thursday, Oxfam said that Johansson's opinion on the matter meant that she had to end her nearly decade-long relationship with the humanitarian organization.
“While Oxfam respects the independence of our ambassadors, Ms. Johansson’s role promoting the company SodaStream is incompatible with her role as an Oxfam Global Ambassador,” the organization said in a statement. “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. Oxfam is opposed to all trade from Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law.”
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Johansson's rep said she and the organization had a "fundamental difference of opinion."
"Scarlett Johansson has respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years," the actress' rep said in a statement. "She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam."
Johansson wrote in a blog last week that she "never intended on being the face of any social or political movement, distinction, separation or stance as part of my affiliation with SodaStream."
I remain a supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine. SodaStream is a company that is not only committed to the environment but to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine, supporting neighbors working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights.
[The Wrap,
