Israel-based Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories: Operating in a Hostile Business Environment
Excerpts
Success Attracts Detractors
The Result
The campaigns by various groups had an adverse impact on Ahava, with several retailers and distributors deciding not to stock its products. Even in 2002, when Ahava was selling in the UK through independent distributors, protests by Palestine groups forced London-based department store Harrods to remove Ahava products from its shelves. After adverse reaction from the Jewish community and the Israeli embassy, the products were reinstated, but with signs explaining their origin....
What Lies Ahead?
Denying the allegations, Ellis wrote a letter addressing all the stakeholders. In the letter he claimed that the protests were tactics to discourage the business partners of the company from continuing to carry Ahava products. He said that the attacks were politically motivated. He claimed, "The mud and minerals used in Ahava's cosmetic products are not excavated in an occupied area. The minerals are mined in the Israeli part of the Dead Sea, which is undisputed internationally....
Exhibits
Exhibit I: About Dead Sea
Exhibit II: Ahava - Global Presence