When I read about a new brand of bottled water from Israel at Elizabeth Royte's blog, I was, like her, incredulous. Dumbfounded. Mystifed.
Whereas many are jettisoning the bottled water habit Michael Gerbitz must think his Genesis: Living Waters of Israel is neater than chocolate-covered matzah balls.
That someone would think shipping water bottled in Israel for sale to the USA, Canada, and elsewhere with a "significant (??) portion" of the profits supporting a noble cause is a smart thing to do defines the word 'clueless.'
From the About Us page:
Genesis Waters is an American import company dedicated to supporting Israel by introducing natural mineral water from Israel to the American market. Every element of our bottled water was designed and produced in Israel, enabling American consumers to enjoy our product while directly benefiting the people of Israel.
In the Book of Genesis, the waters of Israel are called Living Waters, inspiring us to name our product Genesis Living Waters of Israel. Our distinctive water is bottled at a pristine, protected source near the Sea of Galilee, and is blessed with an abundance of healthy minerals, creating a refreshingly pure experience for both body and soul.
The religious connection is thickly troweled on throughout the WWW site. There is talk of turning "Living Waters into Giving Waters."
Anyone see the irony in bottling Israel's precious water and shipping it overseas to make a profit while some Palestinians struggle to access sufficient clean water? And how about all that oil used to make the bottles and ship it? Wonder where that comes from?
Royte ably documents the reasons why Gerbitz needs to rethink his business plan. I especially like what she says here:
Around the world, religious leaders are working to apply biblical principles of stewardship to the environment– in a movement known as Creation Care — and many communities of faith have pledged to eliminate or reduce consumption of bottled water. Mr. Gerbitz: you might want to rethink your business plan.
This is not about whether you support Israelis, Palestinians, Arabs, Iranians, or whomever. This is about wasting a precious resource to turn a profit and then 'laundering' that profit by donating a 'significant portion' to a worthy cause.
If you want to support Israel and its victims of terrorism, that's fine, but find a legitimate charity that does not sell an overpriced, useless product whose sales pitch is garnished with a bunch of Biblical passages.
I can do Biblical passages, too. How's this:
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." - 1 Timothy 6:10
I came across your post while searching for a place to purchase this water. My first introduction to this water was while I was working for a warehouse. The ac had broken down in the heat of summer. My employer offered us this water for free to keep us hydrated while we worked. (yes he is a JEW and no I no longer work for him-I have jewish heritage but no knowledge of it) Well, one weekend at home I started craving this water. I have never craved water before. I am not a religious nut. I don't like water. But I really started craving this water, I COULD NOT WAIT TO GET MORE. I haven't had any in 4 years and still crave the taste of this water. WTH?
Posted by: Kristina | Thursday, 26 February 2015 at 12:18 PM