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I remember very well a conversation with some of my ignorant neighbors and colleagues when I was telling them about how Starbucks is one of the arms that pays for the bullets and rockets that kill my people.
I also remember very well some of the conversation over blogs which showed that some Arab bloggers are very ignorant to the fact that Starbucks is nothing but a PR machine for the Israeli Terrorist.
However, most (if not all) of these ignorant guys/gals didn’t believe what I was saying.
I’m not going to repeat what I said before, but I will leave you here with a very clear message (specially these days) from the Starbucks Chairman mouth.
Dear Starbucks Customer,
First and foremost I want to thank you for making Starbucks the $6.4 billion global company it is today, with more than 90,000 employees, 9,700 stores, and 33 million weekly customers. Every latte and macchiato you drink at Starbucks is a contribution to the close alliance between the United States and Israel, in fact it is - as I was assured when being honoured with the “Israel 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Tribute Award” - key to Israel's long-term PR success. Your daily chocolate chips frappucino helps paying for student projects in North America and Israel, presenting them with the badly needed Israeli perspective of the Intifada.
Starbucks, through the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah, an international network of Jewish education centres, sponsors Israeli military arms fairs in an effort to strengthen the special connection between the American, European and Israeli defense industries and to showcase the newest Israeli innovations in defense. As my contribution to the fight against the global rise of anti-Semitism, the reason behind the current conflict in the Middle-East, I help Aish HaTorah sponsoring the website "honestreporting.com” and produce material informing of Israel’s side of the story.
Without you, my valued customer, I wouldn’t be able to raise hundreds of millions of dollars each year to support Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks and keep reminding every Jew in America, to defend Israel at any cost. $5 billion per year from the US government are no way near enough to pay for all the weaponry, bulldozers and security fences needed to protect innocent Israeli citizens from anti-Semitic Muslim terrorism. Corporate sponsorships are essential.
Having the bigger picture in mind, Starbucks have donated a store to the US army to help in the “War on Terror”. I cannot emphasise enough, how vital the “War on Terror” is for the continued viability and prospering of the Jewish State.
So next time you feel like chilling out at a Starbucks store, please remember that with every cup you drink at Starbucks you are helping with a noble cause.
Howard Schultz
Chairman & Chief Global Strategist
Starbucks Coffee Stores
[Source: Ziopedia]
Update: Here is more in depth info about the warmonger [Hat tip: ohoud]:
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-starbucks.html
{ 31 } Comments
Whether or not it is true that Starbucks supports Israel, the letter you have provided is actually a parody from an anti-zionist website.
although I will avoid the place now just in case
annika,
That's why I put the source, and it's up to everyone to decide what is what… but I don't care if the web site is anti this or that as far as the letter is true!
O Haitham,
I agree with you, we should tell the truth, unlike other News Networks which are controlled by the …. Where the polls are manipulated… Any ways, it is the right of every citizen on this planet to learn the truth about imperialism and colonisation, which has new diplomatic words occupation and democracy. I would also strongly argue from now on in the website. when you report things, i would suggest you that you better say freedom fighters of occupation rather than terrorists. It is the United States, United Nations that is terrorising people. And it is every individual's right to use any means to make their voice heard. Since peaceful means are being suppressed by veto or other machinery in place. These freedom fighters everywhere are confronting the democracy which is propogated for the interest of western society not for the interest of the people living at a certain place.
We should fight them every where
Haitham, there's another source for whats been said in the letter with screen shots from Starbucks site proving all the numbers and awards the letter has mentioned.
You might aswell add it for people who find this letter not trustworthy material:)
Here's the link: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-starbucks.html
Marhaba Ya Jama3a,
I do not care. Ill drink starbucks always.
Salam
Well, i don't know about the US induced war against Iraq, but Starbucks has actually no business in israel of over 5 years. no branch exists here and no money is brought here. the 50th anniversary was 8 years ago, and Starbacks didn't participate in it as well.
But, don't let the facts confuse you. if you believe that Starbucks are evil, don't buy there. I just don't like their coffee.
Oh, and to be "Neutral", please add the pictures of the Bodies from Haifa, so that people will see that harm is done by the Hizbullah as well. If you need any pictures from the disastre, mail me, you have my details. Unfortunately, we do not put pictures of bodies because it dishonors the dead.
Read ohoud's comment above and follow the link:
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-starbucks.html
Enjoy your poison drink!
June 7, 2006
Starbucks Rumor Response
You may have heard a rumor about Howard Schultz, Starbucks and the Israeli army. The rumor is false. Neither chairman Howard Schultz nor Starbucks fund or support the Israeli Army.
Starbucks is a non-political organization and does not support individual political causes.
Contact Information:
Starbucks Coffee Company
(206) 318-7100
press@starbucks.com
Make sure to read all the facts people!! This was found on the starbucks website. I guess by using a large company's name you'll get a few more people to read your story.
I do not believe that the letter is true for several reasons. First of all, Why would the Chairman & Chief Global Strategist Starbucks Coffee Stores, write such a letter to the public that would clearly reduce the number of Arabs purchasing coffee from their stores around the World especially in Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon; and therefore, writing the letter would not be a very smart move. Secondly, why would Starbucks do all this for Israel and yet not have a store open there… Yet, even though I do not know if Starbucks really does help Israel, the letter is undoubtedly a fake.
It really doesn't matter if it is true or not, what matters is that most of their employees are paid minnimum wage (not enough to make ends meet) and no benefits. This is the Western way.
Over here in the west we are actually struggling to make ends meet (to continue to make big corporations money and the government keep control).
What you hear from Bush is nothing but lies. Work is going to China!
Give it a few years we will look like the Middle East. The very rich controlling everything and everyone else struggling!
A small update that a few of my close associates discussed last night.
Give it a few years at this rate and there will be a new revolution.
Not American but a North American.
The average person is getting very upset that jobs, health care and news is being too controlled!
The main source was the great editor ,Andrew Winkler; he posted Howard Schultz's speech on his media site http://www.ziopedia.com ,
http://www.ziopedia.org/content/view/578/0/
it's one of his wonderful recent achievements. he supported my pervious post "StarSucks" big time, http://khobbeizeh.blogspot.com/2006/04/starsucks.html
he's such a great man with a beautiful mind, don't forget to check his http://www.therebel.org , both ziopedia and the rebel are a very important real sources about Sons of Zion! If you missed them later , find the links on Khobbiezeh.
where are the pictures on the slideshow from?
Yasemin,
The photos you see at the top are from the new massacre that the Israeli committed against civilians in Lebanon two days ago.
Civilians were fleeing their village at South Lebanon after Israeli terrorist started shelling their homes. They approached a near by U.N. camp to protect them or at least give them a shelter, the U.N. soldiers refused and pushed them out of the camp, which forced the civilians to take the risk and try to escape the Israeli shells by driving away from the area.
The Israeli terrorist knowing that these are only civilians hit them with all the power they have killing almost all, and these are the pictures of that massacre.
If you understood how a publicly traded company works you would understand that Schultz or anyone associated with Starbucks couldn't help Israel or Saudi Arabia. The letter is obviously written by a Brit or a Canadian ("honour," "emphasise," "centre," et cetera, are not proper spelling in Standard American English)! Furthermore, the CEO of one of the largest, most successful, employee friendly and environmentally responsible corporation would definitely know how to spell Frappuccino (it ain't 'frappucino'!)! Re-posting "garbage" written by a Bozo with personal agenda only hurts the cause you claim to be advocating for. Check your facts before engaging in the politics of slander, or you'll be irrelevant and no better than the Arab hating Zionists you claim to be opposing.
Cheers!
Bozo Spotter!
PS Here is the link to Starbucks' offical response to the said "garbage" letter:
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=668&rumor=true&cookie%5Ftest=1
Feel any better?
Don't confuse the agenda with facts, Bozo Spotter! Sheesh.
As I always say, research your cause before you promote it, hence the kids writing on missiles post. I'm not trying to be mean here, but I have very low tolerance for blind advocacy. This goes for both sides of the issue.
And getting facts from an activist website is not terribly convincing, especially when some of the "damning" actions are providing their product to the Red Cross and supporting the troops. Very well. Let's just boycott everyone who doesn't spit on US soldiers when they return home. Did Joe's Pharmacy put a banner up welcoming Corporal Johnny home? Let's boycott! Did Kid Rock so a USO show? Never buy his CDs again! The owner of the Corner Deli is wearing a yellow ribbon. We'll never eat another bite there again! And dang if the owner of my favorite jewelry store looks kinda Jewish?
this may be how the chairman actually feels and yes, starbucks could very well be (or is) an organization that supports israel and sends money etc, however, the letter is DEFINITELY a parody.
please stop being so gullible - anyone with any common sense would know that no high profile person (esp one who has invested in stores all over the middle east) would be stupid enough to air his pro-israeli views in anything other than the privacy of his own house or bedroom.
again, yes, he *probably* feels this way, however, he did not write the letter, it is a 'parody' or satire. you guys believing this to be true is almost as bad as believing that the onion is a source of real news.
also, the 'boycott starbucks' link provided earlier in this comment thread does not prove the authenticity of the letter - it just provides information to support the fact that starbucks is pro-israeli. in fact, that was probably the source for the author of the letter, who compiled all the information there and put it together and pretended that it was written by the chairman.
Andrew Winkler, the editor of Ziopedia, wrote the letter:
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=4780
(scroll to the bottom to read his statement).
excerpt:
The Howard Schultz spoof letter above has caused quite a bit of a stir. We had over 10,000 visitors reading this article in the past 24 hours. Some of them were not quite sure whether the article was 'kosher' or not. Well, it was and it wasn't. Howard Schultz never wrote that letter, I did. If you didn't find it funny, blame it on my German humour. However, all the statements I made in that letter about donations, sponsorships, political views etc. - are based on factual Howard Schultz actions and quotes, as 1/2 hour of 'Googling' will easily confirm to anyone interested.
Andrew Winkler, the editor of Ziopedia, wrote the letter:
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=4780
(scroll to the bottom to read his statement).
excerpt:
The Howard Schultz spoof letter above has caused quite a bit of a stir. We had over 10,000 visitors reading this article in the past 24 hours. Some of them were not quite sure whether the article was 'kosher' or not. Well, it was and it wasn't. Howard Schultz never wrote that letter, I did. If you didn't find it funny, blame it on my German humour. However, all the statements I made in that letter about donations, sponsorships, political views etc. - are based on factual Howard Schultz actions and quotes, as 1/2 hour of 'Googling' will easily confirm to anyone interested.
Interesting, we had the exact same rumor a few years ago but that Starbucks supports Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, who play a role in assisting Hamas terrorist activities in Israel.
I wonder why we invent these rumors? What psychological purpose does it serve? Hmm….
I can concur though that Starbucks have closed their branches in Israel some years ago, and we no longer sell that crap. We drink good coffee none of that mass-produced shit. Good day.
We all pretty much know the letter is a parody. But as Sarah says, it was a parody based on facts about George Shulz. Here are two FACTS, facts which WERE on Starbucks site and have since been deleted. How do I know they used to be there? Because about six months ago I saw them myself when I was doing some research concerning Starbucks' CEO and founder.
FACT: "In 1998 he was honoured by the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah with "The Israel 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Tribute Award" for his services to the zionist state in "playing a key role in promoting close alliance between the United States and Israel". The Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah funds israeli arms fairs chaired by the butcher of Jenin - General Shaul Mofaz, and the zionist propaganda website honestreporting.com.[1]"
FACT: Starbucks has been involved with several fundraisers for Israel and he was NOT GIVEN THE AWARD just because he's a nice guy.
When links are given here to support a statement by anyone, be it the host or other commentors, I strongly suggest that the reader take the time to read those links prior to making off-handed statements. Personally, I gave up Starbuck's six months ago when I found this information out. I have slipped a couple of times, I will admit, but anyone who continues to drink this stuff IS drinking "poison". It does NOT matter whether or not a boycott is effective or not. It does NOT matter what the reason for the boycott is. It does NOT matter whether or not there is an organized boycott. What matters is that individuals, IF we know that companies are sponsoring things which are antithetical to our own moral beliefs, WHATEVER they are, we should not go near that product. My dad won't step foot inside a Walmart. Does his not shopping there make a statement? Well, since he's not very talkative then no. But it is his OWN morality which will not allow him to shop there. If more people were aware, if more people cared enough to take a stance, then big-businesses such as Wal-Mart and Starbucks could not get away with what they were doing because their customers have said to them ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
So many people just use their own convenience as an excuse not to live the morality they espouse. Think about it.
Neither chairman Howard Schultz nor Starbucks fund or support the Israeli Army. — Starbuck's Minister of Propaganda
ZioPedia's spoof letter never said anything about Starbucks or its supreme leader directly supporting Israel's armed thugs. It only draws the intention to the fact that Schultz - via the Zio propaganda mill Aish HaTorah - generously sponsors Israeli arms exhibitions with the purpose of fostering relationships between Israeli and Western military.Howard Schultz doesn't directly pay for the bulldozers that destroy Palestinian homes, the walls that separate Palestinians from their fields, work places and family members, the bullets that kill Palestinian kids, Schultz with the help of the hundreds of millions he makes out of Starbucks is supporting the IOF with his propaganda dollars.The Starbucks spokes PR people are trying to confuse the matter with their half-true statements.Andrew WinklerEditor/PublisherZioPedia - A Rebel Media Group Project
Seriously, do you think starbucks is the only huge Israel helper in the US. No No No!!! all of those who live in the US need to avoid shopping in all markets except for the international ones. I mean it is very hard to live in the US and be sure we're not supporting Israel. The biggest businesses in the US and the richest companies are owned by jews in the US. I'm not saying that necessarly all the jews support the Zionist government of Israel but at least more than half of them are supporters. I think this is the main reason why the US is such a supporter of Israel. You know that US has a capitalist government therefore, money says everything and now that they have the money, they have the word in the government.
Hello, I completely agree with your starbucks statement. I feel that for every cup of coffee you buy from starbucks, you are killing an innocent child in Lebanon and/or Palestine. Why not support Caribou Coffee? 87.8% of it is owned by an Islamic Bank and the owner is Palestinian who donates a generous profit to Palestine all the time. We, as Arab-Americans need to stop supporting Starbucks. I understand that no matter what we do, just living in this country, we're 'supporting' Israel, but this is not something we can control. Choosing where to get your coffee from, now that's something you can control!
(How'd you get that picture of me? I'm the one holding the sign about Bush…)
According to the official Starbucks website this isn't true. Why would someone say something and then deny saying it. If Starbuck's is truly a supporter of Israel and the Israeli army then bring some solid evidence and I'm sure people will take action. I know I will.
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=668&rumor=true&cookie%5Ftest=1
Yeah, its a rumor …
Hi there everyone
Regardless of the fact that the letter is spoof or not, Starbucks is an official sponsor of Israeli activities most particularly military and colonial.
Mr Schultz is a devout Zionist and this has been evident in his so many presentations in Synagogues around America.
For those who think that he wouldn't say such comments for the sake of customers in the Middle East, I say to you that 90% of Starbuck's customers in these countries are from the high class or at least Middle high class and not from the working or ordinary citizens therefore most of these people would not really care about what is going on in Lebanon and Palestine. Some of them even say that it is the problem of the Lebanese and to a certain extent they deserve it (i.e. trying to be realistic as they claim).
Therefore I believe that Me Schultz has nothing to worry about as he is assured that the slice of Middle Eastern community he targetted will not say anything against his thoughts. Take a ride around the luxurious malls and avenues in any Middle Eastern capital and another one in a 'least - fortunate' quarter of the same capital, where would you find the Starbucks Cafe?! I hope this clears things a bit.
Hi there everyone
Regardless of the fact that the letter is spoof or not, Starbucks is an official sponsor of Israeli activities most particularly military and colonial.
Mr Schultz is a devout Zionist and this has been evident in his so many presentations in Synagogues around America.
For those who think that he wouldn't say such comments for the sake of customers in the Middle East, I say to you that 90% of Starbuck's customers in these countries are from the high class or at least Middle high class and not from the working or ordinary citizens therefore most of these people would not really care about what is going on in Lebanon and Palestine. Some of them even say that it is the problem of the Lebanese and to a certain extent they deserve it (i.e. trying to be realistic as they claim).
Therefore I believe that Me Schultz has nothing to worry about as he is assured that the slice of Middle Eastern community he targetted will not say anything against his thoughts. Take a ride around the luxurious malls and avenues in any Middle Eastern capital and another one in a 'least - fortunate' quarter of the same capital, where would you find the Starbucks Cafe?! I hope this clears things a bit.
Dear Bloggers,
First I would like to say that I am fully against any attack against any Arab Country no matter what it is. And I fully realize that the American Government is with Isreal in every step it takes. But in my opinion (and you all have the right to disagree if you want) Jews are NOT stupid people, becuase if they are, they wouldn't have reached the stage they're in now. They can't allow the Starbucks Chairman to go out to the public, and announce that "dear costumers, you're helping us kill the Arabs" no matter how he said it. Of course I'm not flattering the Jews nor the Americans, but still we have to think twice in every move we take, and don't believe whatever crap is being said,,,simply IT IS TIME WE WAKE UP!
{ 4 } Trackbacks
Dear Starbucks Customers, You are Killing Palestinians and Lebanese On July 16th, 2006, from Sabbah's Blog
some of the conversation over blogs which showed that some Arab bloggers are very ignorant to the fact that Starbucks is nothing but a PR machine for the Israeli Terrorist. However, most (if not all) of these ignorant guys/gals didn?t believe wRead the rest
Dear Starbucks Customers, You are Killing Palestinians and Lebanese From Sabbah's Blog. Posted in Politics July 16th, 2006 |
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