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Palestinians Stub Out Marlboro in Anti-U.S. Protest

(Sydney Morning Herald/AP) Swept up in anti-American sentiment, Palestinians increasingly want the Marlboro man out of town, though Coca-Cola has largely escaped the sanctions. Coca-Cola is bottled in Ramallah, meaning a boycott could endanger jobs. Many smokers, especially young trendsetters, have switched to French-made Gauloises, which cost $2, compared with $3 for Marlboro. Olivier Bubbe, commercial director for Africa and Middle East for Altadis, the Paris-based manufacturer of Gauloises, confirmed sales of the French cigarettes were up, but he attributed the rise to effective marketing more than the boycott. He said the company had been heavily promoting the brand in the Middle East after introducing it in Lebanon in 1985, and sales were rising even before the Palestinian boycott call. Palestinian activists have made repeated attempts to organize boycotts of Israeli products. At times, Palestinian inspectors would search shops and confiscate Israeli products. However, activists have been unable to change entrenched consumer preferences, with Israeli milk products and foods found in many Palestinian homes.
2002-12-06 00:00:00
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