For the last 2 days ( from Wed 11 May) Ahava in the US has been running a marketing campaign on the social media site Twitter under the hashtag #AhavaReborn. Members of the public were invited to submit beauty care questions with the lure of a prize of Ahava products for the best question.

US group -CODE PINK – alerted other BDS campaigners to the marketing campaign and suggested using the opportunity to tackle Ahava.

What followed can only be described as a total disaster for Ahava. From early Wednesday European time and for the next 48 hours BDS campaigners flooded the twitter stream #AhavaReborn with hundreds of messages advocating the boycott of Ahava products.  The BDS campaigners came from the US, UK, Netherlands, Occupied Palestine and elsewhere; reflecting the international nature of the campaign against Ahava.

As members of the public tweeted  #AhavaReborn with their beauty questions about cracked heels, blemishes and dry skin,  BDS campaigners quickly responded  to them with personal messages and tips- all of them around why they should avoid Ahava products.   At the same time, BDS campaigners submitted their own questions to Ahava.  Many of these were highly amusing but all of them highlighting Ahava’s complicity in Israel’s illegal Occupation.  Throughout the 48 hours, BDS campaigners also posted tweets with links to the  Stolen Beauty website for background information on Ahava for those who wanted to know more.

The pro-Ahava and counter-BDS lobbies made an appearance on the first day to attack BDS and criticism of Israel . But they were few in number and weak in their arguments.   By the second day they had given up after posting only a couple of messages.

Twitter only permits tweets of up to 140 characters, so you have to be short and sweet to make your point . BDS campaigners excelled at using creativity and biting wit to get their messages across in a few words. Please read the small selection of tweets at the end of this message for a flavour of this.

Overall, the two days were clearly a victory for BDS campaigners who took the opportunity provided by Ahava’s foray into marketing, through social media, and turned it into a platform for BDS.  Thanks go to everyone who took part, but especially to CODE PINK for initiating the action.

On now to the next battle…

@Arabian_BabblerArabian Babbler

My trigger finger is dry from shooting too many Palestinians around my settlement. What moisturizer do you recommend?

@ZzigggyyyZiggy Stardust
@birchbox & @ahava_us Do you have anything that will hide the israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians ?

@bethlehemballetVicky
The tear gas that the Israeli military fires on me when I visit Palestinian friends in Silwan is ruining my skin. What to do?

@bethlehemballetVicky
I was helping to demolish Palestinian houses today and I chipped a nail! Do you have a product that will strengthen them?

hdaboub Henry Daboub II
Hey Ahava, can you recommend a soap that will wash the blood off my hands? I know you’re experts at that

@Arabian_BabblerArabian Babbler
Do you have any creams for burns from Israeli Army phosphorous bombs? School children in Gaza would be interested

Chelsealeebee Chelsea Byers
#AHAVAreborn - not a fan of the “freshly bulldozed earth” or the “tears of the displaced” scents. Have anything that smells like “justice”?

#AHAVAreborn @birchbox and @AHAVA_US What is the best skin care regimen for normal, slightly dry, worried about wrinkles 28yr old skin?
@isvestiasalim Ahava is happy to advise on how to steal Palestinian Land but if its skincare advice you want please try elsewhere #ahavareborn

@birchbox & @ahava_us Do you have anything that I can use to cover up the#warcrimes committed by israeli#Apartheid

@ReclaimedBeauty Is there any chance of Ahava coming out with a fragrance line? Love the scents of your products.
@isvestia  Ahava already has a fragrance- its called ‘The Stench of Israel’s Illegal Occupation’.

@hakawai chavez newman
Dear Ahava, Israel’s apartheid system makes my skin crawl! What products do you recommend?

georginareeves georgina reeves
@BirchBox ahava advises weekly expropriation to rid you of palestinians and other irritating skin conditions
WideAsleepNima Nima Shirazi
@birchbox, how will a deep ethnic cleansing affect my pores?

Zzigggyyy Ziggy Stardust
@birchbox & @ahava_us Do you have anything that I can use to cover up the #warcrimes committed by israeli #Apartheid

redcathexwas AlexisS
# AHAVAReborn @birchbox Do you have anything to relieve those nasty breakouts caused by the stress of living life under military occupation?

BoycottAhava Stolen Beauty
Hey @birchbox why sell Ahava lotion? Human rights are a better notion.

bethlehemballet Vicky
Any chance of #AhavaReborn launching a perfume range? I want something more delicate than my usual free IDF samples of eau de tear gas.

georginareeves georgina reeves
@BirchBox what’s that i can smell? bath salts? body lotion? no, it’s the stench of racist colonialism

krnbrrtt k.b.
#AHAVAreborn the world knows you sell ethnic cleansers, but how about new foundation for the ones your government bulldozed?

clarefarrell clarefarrell
My skin care questions is, do you have a cream to heal the scars caused by a brutal and systemic occupation?