Lebanon Activists Boycott Pepsi Following Rebranding, Claim Bottle Caps Resemble Israeli Flag

TRT Arabic TV (Turkey) aired a report on June 21, 2024 on the Pepsi boycott in Lebanon, which came after the local Pepsi representatives changed the bottle caps to blue and white colors, the colors of the Israeli flag. Activists interviewed in the report claimed that the two lines in the cap resemble the lines in the Israeli flag, with one of them claiming that the two lines symbolize the Nile and Euphrates River, to which supposedly, Israel intends to expand.

Presenter: "It is well known that the Pepsi logo on caps and bottles features these colors: red, white, and blue. But in Lebanon, Pepsi has provoked anger once again, after the company’s representatives there changed the caps to ones that display the colors and pattern of the Israeli flag. As you can see in this picture that was shared by social media users, This is one of those social media users, explaining the issue in more detail."

Man 1: "This is a bottle of Pepsi that is sold at Lebanese markets, The flag of what country is blue, white, and blue? Now do you believe that Pepsi supports the occupation? I was shocked to see these new Pepsi bottles. Let me tell you something: Shame on a customer that enters a store and buys this battle, shame on stores that accept these bottles from the retailers, shame on the retailers that take the merchandise from the suppliers, and most importantly shame on the factory where these bottles are filled and capped with these caps. I don’t want you to stop drinking..."

Presenter: "The anger in Lebanon grew, and it has reached the judiciary when a lawyer filed a lawsuit against the representative of the company in Lebanon, in order to convict them in the crimes of sowing civil strake, breaking the laws of boycotting the Israeli enemy, and attempts to normalize relations [with Israel]."

Man 2: "What happened in Lebanon is that the blue caps are not only blue and white, notice there are lines above and below [the Pepsi logo]. This means from the [Nile] River to the [Euphrates] River, just like their flag. This is how you interpret it? Absolutely, It is the same promised land I swear, Pepsi shied away putting the star [of David] on [the bottles]. Maybe tomorrow, with the weakness we might see in some people, Allah forbid you will see that they I'll drop 'Peps' and put a Star of David on the cans and that's that."