Daniel Birnbaum, former CEO of SodaStream and High Holiday Hazzan at Adath Israel synagogue for much of the late 1990s and early aughts, is offering $100,000 in cash or bitcoin for anyone who delivers an Israeli hostage being held in Gaza.
The offer was announced earlier today, Oct. 19, just days after the IDF killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and architect of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and 250 were taken hostage. There are currently still 101 hostages still being held in Gaza.
After Sinwar’s death, Prime Minister Netanyahu offered amnesty and free passage to those who surrendered Israeli hostages. In a video circulating social media, Birnbaum adds that on top of amnesty, he is willing to pay $100,000 for a living Israeli hostage.
“This was a terrible year. It’s time to wrap things up. It’s time to move on,” Birnbaum said in the video. “A few days ago, Benjamin Netanyahu promised free passage and immunity to anyone who delivers an Israeli prisoner to Israel. I would like to add to that a financial reward.”
THIS!
After PM Netanyahu offered free passage and immunity to any Gazan who releases hostages, now Daniel Birnbaum, the former CEO of SodaStream, is offering a $100,000 reward to anyone in Gaza who delivers an Israeli living hostage by end of Wednesday October 23rd. pic.twitter.com/EaMJr9UsfM
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) October 19, 2024
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In the video, Birnbaum says his offer expires at midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 24. He told Gazans who want to take the offer to contact him through a private Telegram or WhatsApp.
“It’s time for you to take control of your life, to build a better future for yourself, your family and for your community. Do it today.”
History of working for peace
A decade ago, Birnbaum’s SodaStream had a factory in the West Bank, but he closed it in part of the boycott, divest and sanction boycotts aimed at the company for operating in a settlement.
The Guardian reported in 2014 that SodaStream said it employed up to 600 Palestinians at the plant and wanted to transfer their jobs to the Israeli plant in a Bedouin community in the Negev that replaced it. But Birnbaum said Israel had granted only 130 work permits so far due to security issues and many likely would lose their jobs.
In 2018, Birnbaum announced his plan to build a plant in Gaza.
“Our diversity is very important, for example our factory here in Israel. We love to show what peace looks like. There are 1000 Jews and 1000 Arabs at our factory, including a few hundred Palestinians. And you wouldn’t believe it – we get along – in peace and harmony and people are smiling. Friendships are emerging,” Birnbaum said, according to i24 News. “People on the factory floor at Sodastream will say that at Sodastream we manufacture peace every day, and along the way we also make soda. It’s fantastic. We want to amplify that. We want more companies to do that. And now we have a project – we’re establishing a manufacturing facility – as a co-packer in Gaza. We want the people in Gaza to have jobs, real jobs, because where there is prosperity there can be peace.”
