Ben & Jerry’s to stop ice cream sales in West Bank, East Jerusalem


Ben & Jerry’s has announced plans to end sales of their ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and has challenged East Jerusalem, after the company has been silent on social media for two months in the face of public backlash.

Ben & Jerry’s has a factory in Be’er Tuviya, Israel, and has been doing business with Israel since 1987. The brand, which was founded in Vermont in 1978 but is currently owned by consumer goods conglomerate Unilever, typically introduces itself as a defender of progressive values. and publicize support for social justice movements.

“We believe it is incompatible with our values ​​that Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is sold in the occupied Palestinian territory,” the company said in a statement on its website Monday. “We also hear and recognize the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.”

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Although there is an ongoing debate about the nature of the conflict in Israel, Human Rights Watch, an international humanitarian organization that studies and advocates for human rights, said in a recent report that Israel’s actions amounted to to commit crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. against the Palestinians.

While many companies are lighthearted in politics for fear of alienating customers, the ice cream maker has taken the opposite approach, often espousing progressive causes.

The announcement – posted on Twitter and Instagram and Ben & Jerry’s website – was one of the strongest and most publicized reprimands by a company well known for Israel’s policy of settling its citizens on land won by war. The settlements are widely viewed by the international community as illegal and as obstacles to peace.

Given the rise in violence and global tensions in recent months, Ben & Jerry’s has faced backlash and boycotts for its involvement in the region. Public outrage against the brand received widespread media coverage.

According to the brand’s statement, Ben & Jerry’s will not be renewing its licensing agreement with a longtime partner that made and distributed ice cream in Israel. The license expires at the end of next year.

However, as the company suspends sales in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ben & Jerry’s said it will “stay in Israel under a different arrangement” and “share an update on this as soon as we are ready.”

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Contribution: Associated Press; Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY

Contact Ella Ruehsen at (207) 509-1429 or [email protected].