American Jewish actress Scarlett Johansson believes anti-Semitism is to blame for much of the fire she drew earlier this year over her endorsement of Israeli company SodaStream, which operates a factory in the West Bank.

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"There's a lot of anti-Semitism out there," Johansson told Vanity Fair, in an interview for the cover of their May edition.

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Johansson resigned from her position as ambassador for Oxfam in January, after the organization contested the actress' promotion of SodaStream due to the company's West Bank factory. She said at the time that she was stepping down from the role because of a "fundamental difference of opinion."

Her decision to disconnect from Oxfam won her praise from Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who wrote in a Facebook post: "I would like to express my support for actress Scarlett Johansson, who took a brave stand against immoral hypocrites." She also received support from the World Jewish Congress.

SodaStream employs Palestinian and Israeli workers at its plant in the Ma'aleh Adumim insdutrial zone. It says the factory offers a model of peaceful cooperation, but Israel's settlements are deemed illegal under international law and are condemned by Oxfam, which has a large operation in the region