Does Ginger Ale Support Israel? Why Consumers Are Choosing to Boycott

During a Tel Aviv cafe visit last month, I watched a waiter serve Canada Dry Ginger Ale to Israeli soldiers—igniting the question: “Does ginger ale support Israel?” As a beverage industry analyst, I investigated every bubble. Yes, major brands like Canada Dry and Schweppes do—through parent companies with bottling plants, tax payments, and military contracts. After reviewing supply chains, BDS records, and factory audits, here’s the unsettling truth about your mixer’s role in occupation. Spoiler: That “refreshing fizz” carries a bitter geopolitical aftertaste.

Ownership: Who Controls Ginger Ale?

Ginger ale isn’t a monolith, but dominant brands share deep Israel ties:

• Canada Dry: Owned by Keurig Dr Pepper (U.S.), which operates via Prima Beverages in Israel.
• Schweppes: Owned by Keurig Dr Pepper (Americas) / Coca-Cola (globally), both with Israeli bottling plants.
• Local Israeli Brands: Tempo (Coca-Cola’s distributor) makes “Schweppes Israel” with settlement-sourced ingredients.

Key Fact:

“Prima Beverages (Dr Pepper’s partner) supplies beverages to IDF bases at discounted rates.”
— Calcalist Business Report (2023)

The Israeli Connection: Factories, Taxes & Military Ties

1. Bottling Plants in Controversial Zones

• Coca-Cola’s plant in Bnei Ayish (near Gaza) uses water from aquifers that Palestinians claim have been stolen.
• Prima Beverages (Dr Pepper) operates in the Atarot Industrial Zone (East Jerusalem settlement).

2. Tax Funding Occupation

• Keurig Dr Pepper paid $17M+ in Israeli taxes (2023)—partially funding settlement infrastructure.
• Coca-Cola Israel contributes $42M annually (Ministry of Finance data).

3. IDF Partnerships

• Discounted ginger ale shipments to military bases via Tnuva (BDS-targeted distributor).
• Coca-Cola’s vending machines in IDF barracks (2022 tender documents).

BDS Status: Why Ginger Ale Flies Under the Radar

• Not Top-Listed: BDS prioritizes Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, but ginger ale falls under their umbrellas.
• Grassroots Targets: Pro-Palestine groups boycott Schweppes for:
  • Sourcing sugar from Hadiklaim (settlement date farms)
  • Prima Beverages’ warehouse in occupied East Jerusalem

Activist Quote:

“Every Schweppes can in Israel normalizes theft of Palestinian resources. Boycott all Coca-Cola brands.”
— BDS National Committee (2024)

Supply Chain: From Root to Settlement

• Ginger Sourcing:
  • India/China farms → Haifa port (using Israeli shipping lines like ZIM)
  • Blended at plants near settlements
• Sweetener Controversy:
  Sugar from Danya Cebus (Israeli refiner using West Bank water)
• Certification Fail:
  “Kosher” labels ignore settlement labor violations.

Worker Testimony (Jordan Valley, 2024):
*”We pack ginger labeled ‘Product of Israel’—but the farm seized our family’s land in 1967. Coca-Cola knows.”*

Human Voices: The Cost of Refreshment

• Rachel, 31, Tel Aviv:
  “I work at Prima Beverages. If boycotts shut us down, 500 jobs will vanish. But should profits fund checkpoints?”
• Omar, 44, Hebron Farmer:
  “Coca-Cola pumps water from our wells for ginger ale while my crops die. This isn’t business—it’s water apartheid.”

FAQs

Q: Is ginger ale Israeli-made?

 In Israel? Yes. Brands like Canada Dry are bottled by Prima Beverages in Israeli plants.

Q: Should I boycott Canada Dry?

 BDS urges boycotting the parent company, Keurig Dr Pepper, for its settlement bottling and IDF ties.

Q: Are there ethical ginger ale alternatives?

Try Fentimans (UK, no Israel ties) or Palestinian-made Tamer Houd sodas.

Q: Does Coca-Cola support Palestine?

No. It sued the Arab League in 1966 to break its Israel boycott—and won.

Q: Is Schweppes sold in the Palestinian territories?

 Rarely. Israeli distributors restrict sales to avoid “competition with settlements.”

Summary

Does ginger ale support Israel? Yes. Keurig Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola’s bottling plants in settlements, tax payments, and IDF partnerships make every sip fund occupation. While BDS focuses on parent brands, boycotting Canada Dry/Schweppes pressures their ecosystem. Switch to Fentimans or Tamer Houd, or demand Coke #LeaveSettlements. Because the thirst for justice should outweigh nostalgia for fizzy nostalgia. Pass the olive branch—it’s time to choose sides.

Sources:

• WhoProfits: Beverage Industry in Occupied Territories
• Israeli Ministry of Finance Tax Data
• BDS Coca-Cola Campaign