Rambling ...

I'm an Irish Girl, A Dubliner, with the 'Gift of the Gab' ... I like to talk & to tell you things. In Celtic times news, views and comment were carried from place to place by wandering Seanachaí ~ Storytellers ~ who relied on their host's hospitality and appreciation. I will need that from you too, as I venture to share Politics, Poetry, Laughter, Love, Life & everything in-between ... from Bog to Blog!!


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A Lush Life !!



For everyone who’s ever used a face cream, anti-wrinkle treatment, “bath bomb” or body “butter” .... did you ever think that while performing your beautification rituals,  you might actually be supporting Hamas and its sympathizers?

Well, if you use a brand of high-end spa products by a company called LUSH, you Are!!!!

Some may not have ever heard of the luxury cosmetics company Lush, but on the hip streets of Soho in London, West Hollywood in LA, South Beach, Florida or the elegant Mayfair in London, the boutique soap-pusher has become a household name. Billed as a purveyor of “fresh, handmade” cosmetics, Lush’s products promise to pamper you head to toe with luxurious all natural lotions, soaps, bath gels, lipsticks, shampoos and perfumes.

Seems innocent enough, right? ....... Think twice!!

It turns out British-born Lush supports a number of far-left causes ~ spun on its website as “ethical campaigns” ~ running the gamut from global warming to oil spills, gay marriage to a “no one is illegal” campaign, to advancing the fight against nuclear energy!!  All polarizing issues that carry an inherit risk of alienating customers ~ but when Lush announced its support for the anti-Israel, jihadi sympathizing OneWorld campaign ~ the company’s foray into the murky flotilla laden waters of the Israeli 'palestinian' conflict went beyond the pale.

With a reported $350 million in annual revenue (some reports even say $500 million) and locations in over 40 countries, Lush’s far-reach and influence cannot easily be dismissed.



Lush serves 40 Countries!

You might remember OneWorld ~ the group started by various recording artists whose stated aim is to “Free palestine” from its Israeli “oppressors.”   With the help of well-known music group Coldplay, OneWorld launched a song titled “Freedom for Palestine.”  This pro-palestinian song pushes a revisionist narrative, which paints Israel as “illegal occupiers” committing “crimes against humanity.

The fact that Judea, Samaria, Gaza and East Jerusalem are territories 'under dispute'  ~ although I don't support this contention either ~  and are thus not in fact “illegally occupied,” ~  and that the charge of Israel committing “crimes against humanity” is completely erroneous ~ the IDF are the most moral army in the world ~  doesn’t seem to be of consequence to OneWorld and its supporters!

Lush’s website even hosts a separate section just for the OneWorld campaign.  Below is a screenshot of the dedicated page ......

Lush 'support palestine' Page

Lush’s OneWorld page features the following statement ......

"This month we have the exciting opportunity to help secure a UK chart position for a song called ‘Freedom for Palestine’ by a collective of musicians called OneWorld. The aim of the song is to raise awareness of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the resulting poverty and other human rights abuses."


And, despite outraged customers requesting Lush to sever ties with OneWorld,  Lush’s crusade to “free the palestinians” continues.  After receiving a written complaint from a former customer who found the company’s anti-Israel bend repugnant, Lush stuck to its guns and continued to vilify Israel in a written response.  Below is reportedly Lush’s reply written by “customer care manager”  Vicky Jansson.

Filled full of historical inaccuracies, this is a perfect example of what happens when a cosmetic company believes itself to be a think tank on foreign policy .....

"Thank you for your email. I‘m sorry to hear you’re disappointed with Lush’s support for the OneWorld project. The history between Israel and Palestine is long, complicated and often under dispute. However, what is very clear is the level of suffering occurring today, in part due to the construction of the wall which is cutting Palestinian people off from vital health services and has dramatically increased poverty in the area. History does not excuse such suffering. It will take both sides to come to a solution, but what is also clear is that this is not a conflict of two equal sides and thus the onus must be on the dominating force, Israel".

Jansson then goes on to liken palestinian experience to the long suffering plight of Tibetans. She failed to mention the fact that Tibetans do not mobilize terror squads, spawn suicide bombers, or lob rockets into civilian population centers in neighboring China.   Perhaps most hypocritical is Lush’s involvement in human rights campaigns for both gays and women, given that both communities suffer unspeakable persecution in the Muslim world.  Out of the 40 countries Lush has a presence in, Israel is not one of them, yet Saudi Arabia ~ where women aren’t even allowed to show their face let alone make it more attractive with cosmetics ~  found a place in Lush’s anti-semitic heart!!!!!!


Help Hamas Soap!

Another blogger put it thusly ..... and I endorse completely  "…it is clear that the people at Lush have absolutely no understanding about it the history between Israel and palestine, because they have accepted the narrative of political activists whose objective is nothing less than the destruction of the Jewish State. Have you ever thought about the possibility that almost every piece of information being promoted by those people is a lie?  Have you, or any of your Lush colleagues ever been to Israel (and I don’t include trips to the ‘West Bank’ under the protection of anti-Israel groups in that question) and spent time with Israelis? Clearly not, because if any of them had they will know that the narrative presented on the Lush website is a total lie!!!" .... (edited a little by me for emphasis!)

 The OneWorld page, which first featured prominently on Lush’s site, is now rather difficult to find ~ slipping inconspicuously to the very bottom of a laundry list of other Lush-sponsored causes. In a passive-aggressive way, Lush doesn’t seem to want to give up OneWorld, but, doesn’t necessarily want to shout its support from the rooftops either. Is Lush trying to downplay its controversial ties in order to mislead unsuspecting customers?

 Supporting extreme anti-Israel groups that are sympathetic to terrorist activity against the State of Israel may prove not good business. We should assure them of this!!!   For example, one of their supporting groups is called “Friends of al-Aqsa”.  Visiting their website speaks for itself .... See?????     Therefore, each purchase of a LUSH product supports extreme anti-Israel activity including boycotts ~ and perhaps even open terrorist activity ~ against the only democracy in the Middle East.

The hypocrisy of this situation is quite staggering considering that LUSH prides itself on supporting “ethical campaigns”, including numerous human rights issues, yet it has stores in Saudi Arabia, a blatant human rights abuser, which in no way champions 'beauty' or its expression for women . And Lush does not have a store in Israel, a champion of human rights, the ONLY champion of human rights in the Middle East.  Baruch Ha'Shem!!!

What can you do???

BOYCOTT Lush procucts ... TELL them so!

RALLY Support for this cause among your friends & Neighbours.

JOIN our Facebook Page   Boycott the Anti Israeli Company LUSH!   and get your friends to do the same.

Make people aware by posting to your Status Update ....  “If you purchase LUSH soaps and lotions, then you are supporting Hamas and other anti-Israel terrorist groups”. 

Tell the TRUTH about where LUSH is sending Monies .... Expose their Anti -Semitism!!!

Demand that LUSH immediately withdraws its support for the OneWorld organization.  

Contact LUSH at ....  http://www.lushusa.com/shop/customers/contact-us/

Go visit your local LUSH Store & voice your Opinion .... LOUDLY !!!!

Boycott LUSH ~ Buy Israeli Beauty Products ..... SUPPORT ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!


3 comments:

  1. Pana you are a super talented writer. I really couldnt have said it better! -Bina

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  2. just so you know, lush has been to israel. they work with this company: http://www.sindyanna.com/
    no one is without their mistakes, but at the heart, lush are trying to promote peace on all fronts.

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  3. Yes, they're trying to promote peace at the expense of Israel!

    ReplyDelete