This week we have become aware of a lot of malicious content from people attempting to smear us, our company and our family. The hate shown by some of these people is completely contrary to the values we live our lives by, and build our company around. If you are one of these people, you are welcome to stop reading now, and are welcome to stop supporting our brand too.
While we have never before used this brand to comment on this topic, we appreciate that some of you have legitimate questions, that you ask in good faith, about our beliefs on Israel and Palestine. If you are one of these people, we want to tell you what we believe.
We believe in Israel’s right to exist in the Jewish ancestral homeland. If you have found a more recent and shallow definition of Zionism, that is not ours. We believe Palestinian people have ancestral ties to the same land, and we believe in Palestine’s right to self-determination.
We believe the Palestinian people, and the Israeli people -- Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and Bedouin -- deserve to live in peace and safety, and we believe significant change is required to bring about that future. We do not condone violence, and do not believe it is ever a path to peace.
If you're a TWOOBS customer, or a member of our community, we don't expect you to believe all the same things as us. But we do expect that we share a common commitment to what we often call kind activism. If our beliefs don't align with yours, that is totally fine. But we will not tolerate any abuse towards us, our wonderful team and partners, or our incredible customers.
Our mission remains: to address the climate crisis through creating products that are better for the environment, and educating the world on conscious consumption. This is what you’re supporting when you choose to support TWOOBS.
You may hear and read things about TWOOBS online that are just wrong, untrue and malicious. We can't and won't spend our energy refuting every single lie told about us. If you have followed us for a while, you will know that we openly share it all. We believe transparency is a pillar of a kind business, which is what we are always striving to be, and we hope you take this note as our attempt to live up to this principle.
The plight of Palestinians and Israelis genuinely tears us apart. It touches many family and friends who we love. This is a deeply personal situation for us, and the last few months have been one of intense angst and heartbreak at the human, child, and animal cost being paid.
If you've made it this far, and have taken the time to hear how we think and feel, we thank you.
May all beings everywhere have peace.
Jess and Stef x
