Pay Every Penny to Save Israel (false Pepsi etymology)

Pepsi is a cola company that was formed in 1898; the product was named “Pepsi-Cola” in 1903. The name “Pepsi” comes from the digestive enzyme “pepsin.”
 
In 2000, several Arab states boycotted American products. It was said by at least August 2000 that “Pepsi” was an acronym for “Pay Every Penny to Save Israel.” Not only was this not true, but Pepsi had joined a 40-year Arab commercial boycott of Israel.
 
The false “Pay Every Penny to Save/Serve Israel” etymology continues to be popular in Egypt. Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a Salafi Islamist politician who declared himself in May 2012 a candidate for Egypt’s presidential election, said “Pay Every Penny to Save Israel” on Al-Nas TV on February 16, 2009.
 
   
Wikipedia: Pepsi
Pepsi (stylized in lowercase as pepsi, formerly stylized in uppercase as PEPSI) is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. Created and developed in 1898 and introduced as “Brad’s Drink”, it was later renamed as Pepsi-Cola on June 16, 1903, then to Pepsi in 1961.
 
History
Pepsi was first introduced as “Brad’s Drink” in New Bern, North Carolina, United States, in 1898 by Caleb Bradham, who made it at his home where the drink was sold. It was later labeled Pepsi Cola, named after the digestive enzyme pepsin and kola nuts used in the recipe. Bradham sought to create a fountain drink that was delicious and would aid in digestion and boost energy.
 
Wikipedia: Hazem Salah Abu Ismail
Hazem Salah Abu Ismail (Arabic: حازم صلاح أبو إسماعيل‎; IPA: [ħæːzem sˤɑˈlɑːħ ˈæbu ʔesmæˈʕiːl]) is an Egyptian lawyer and Salafi Islamist politician.
 
Presidential candidacy
Abu Ismail applied to be a candidate for the Egyptian presidential election of May 2012. As of early April 2012, he was considered one of the front-runners, and enjoyed notable displays of popular support.
     
Google Groups: alt.conspiracy
Agent 9
Aug 15 2000
PEPSI
 
Pay
Every
Penny to
Save
Israel
 
1 December 2000, Augusta (GA) Chronicle, “U.S. goods boycotts sweep gulf” (Associated Press), pg. 13A, col. 1:
In the gulf, flyers list U.S. companies that should be boycotted. One said people should stop drinking Pepsi “because it is an acronym that stands for “Pay Every Penny to Save Israel.”
 
Calling Pepsi a “Jewish product” is ironic, given that Pepsi was one of many multinationals that wouldn’t do business in Israel during the 40-year Arab commercial boycott of the Jewish state.
 
31 December 2000, Sunday Herald (Glasgow, UK), “News of the World,” pg. 12:
Among rumours circulating in Cairo is one that claims that Coca-Cola’s logo, when read upside down held to a mirror, reads La Muhammad La Makka (no Muhammad, no Mecca), while another claims that Pepsi’s name in English is no more than an acronym for a Zionist slogan which reads, “Pay Every Penny to Save Israel”.
 
The Times of India
The Gujral doctrine
Jan 14, 2001, 02.04PM IST
With reference to your article in STOI dated 7th January, 2001 regarding Muslim clerics waging war over Coke! Of course the sentiments of Muslims will be hurt. To clarify the same, I checked with my Muslim colleague (Gulf national) whether he is aware of this. He said: “Yes, everyone’s aware and it is so for the last two years. You know, there’s something else. What is the full form of Pepsi? It is: `Pay Every Penny to Serve Israel’.”
(...)
Andrew Rodrigues, Bahrain
 
Israel Today
PEPSI is a Zionist conspiracy, declares Egyptian cleric
Monday, June 22, 2009 | Israel Today Staff
A leading Egyptian cleric earlier this year declared in a sermon broadcast on national television that popular soda drink producer PEPSI is actually a front for funding Israel against its Arab enemies.
 
According to cleric Hazem Abu Ismail, PEPSI is an acronym that stands for “Pay Every Penny to Save Israel.”
(...)
Abu Ismail’s sermon was broadcast on Egypt’s Al-Nas TV on February 16 of this year. Translation was provided by The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
 
Newsmax
Abu Ismail Would Shred Camp David Agreement
Wednesday, 18 Apr 2012 05:55 PM
By Steve Emerson
It’s the dawn of a new age in Egypt for Salafist presidential contender Hazem Salah Abu Ismail. The confidence exuded by the popular 50-year old lawyer turned preacher says as much.
(...)
In February 2009, he made waves in the West when he told an Egyptian TV network that Muslims should boycott Pepsi — or “Pay Every Penny to Save Israel”—as well as Coca Cola and other similar products.
 
“When you pay [to buy Pepsi], you are saving Israel,” he said.