by HANNAN ADELY
Customers reaching for a soft drink at restaurants and markets in some ethnic communities may find that their options have grown far beyond Coke and Pepsi.
Nowadays, shelves are stocked with brands like the British-based Salaam Cola and Drink Palestina, launched in July by three North Jersey businessmen. After strong sales in Europe, the Sweden-based Palestine Drinks plans to bring its products to North America in December.
In South Paterson, home to a large Arab American community, the cans have been hard to keep in stock, said business owners.
“It did insanely well. It got the point where I was ordering a couple of cases a week. People tried it and kept buying it,” said George Noury, owner of Nouri’s Restaurant, who had run out of Drink Palestina cans except diet and was waiting for a larger order.
The United States is the newest market for a bevy of soda brands that have grown popular in parts of the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe. Consumers are turning to independent soda sellers to support a boycott of companies they believe are aligned with Israel, amid outrage over war in Gaza and Lebanon and its attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Some are shunning major American companies altogether in protest of U.S. support for war.
Locally, customers said they were eager to support products that spread awareness about Palestine and that also raise money for charity. The soda companies have pledged to donate part or all of their profits to organizations helping Palestinians.
Sandra Haddad, a college student from Little Ferry, saw Instagram reels about Drink Palestina and was glad to find it at R & M Halal Meat Market in South Paterson. She grabbed the only flavor that was left — orange — and took a swig from the can, adorned with a keffiyeh pattern and a Palestine land outline.
“It tastes really good, like Fanta,” she said. “These other companies support Israel. We’re not going to be drinking it.”
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