Ariel washing powder does not support the Israel Defence Forces

Context

A video circulating on Facebook claims the washing powder brand Ariel is supporting the Israeli Defence Forces in the ongoing Gaza conflict.

In the video, men in IDF uniforms are seen bringing laundry to a truck full of washing machines. A man says, “Guys! We are here next to the border. Laundry! Washing machines! Dryers! We’re getting ready now, we’re going to be ironing for the soldiers!” The man is then seen ironing a uniform tunic. He continues: “This is not a base, this is in the fields, and these soldiers are in the front line in Gaza. And we’re doing laundry right now!” The man is finally seen cheering and laughing at what is said to be explosions from Gaza, while sitting on the bed of a truck with a group of soldiers (who do not take part in the cheering). Throughout the video, the Ariel brand logo is prominently displayed at the bottom.  

The caption in the post says: “Circulating footage shows Ariel a popular washing powder brand, supporting Israeli Occupation Forces during the ongoing bombardment and ground invasion of #Gaza. #GazaGenocide #ceasefireInGazaNOW #ZionismIsTerrorism #IsraeliCrimes.”

The video has also been shared by several X (formerly Twitter) users, with captions such as “Ariel, a popular washing powder brand, publicly supports the Israeli Occupation Forces during the ongoing bombardment and ground invasion of #Gaza.” 

However, the Ariel logo was added later, and the company is not supporting Israel in the ongoing conflict.

In fact

Through a reverse image search, Logically Facts found that the video was published on X on October 31, 2023, with the caption, “An undisclosed location, somewhere near Gaza, a vehicle pulls up – no military capabilities, perhaps, but Shai Graucher brings washing machines and an ironing board, a chance for soldiers to freshen up. It's powered by a generator – and a surge of love from family across the world.”

According to an article published by the Israeli news site Times of Israel on November 11, Shai Graucher is an Israeli rabbi who runs the charity Klal Yisroel Organization. The article states that the charity has been “helping families of terror victims with support, with money, and taking care of soldiers'' since 2017. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, Graucher’s charity has provided IDF soldiers with laundry, showers, and jacuzzis, along with a religious center praying for the success of IDF operations. The campaign is called “Standing Together,” which is also visible in the video. According to the article, both the charity and the current campaign are based on volunteering and donations.

The original video did not include the Ariel logo, which appears to have been added later. While some packages of Ariel washing powder are seen briefly next to the washing machines, other brands are also present, and the brand name Ariel is not mentioned in the video. 

A spokesperson for the American conglomerate Procter and Gamble, which owns the Ariel brand, told Logically Facts that the video was not created by P&G/Ariel and that neither Procter & Gamble nor Ariel were affiliated with the Standing Together campaign.

This is not the first time Ariel has been accused of being connected to Israel. In 2002, Egyptian activists called for a boycott based on false claims that the brand was named after the sitting Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, and that its logo was actually a Star of David. In fact, the brand name was first introduced in 1967.

The verdict

The Ariel logo has been added to the original video later. While some packages of Ariel powder are seen in the video, we also see packages from other brands. The brand name is not mentioned in the video, which shows an Israeli charity doing laundry for soldiers. We have therefore rated this as false.