Ben & Jerry’s To End Sales in Israeli-Occupied Areas

Famed American ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's said it will end sales of its ice cream in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. This includes the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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Inconsistent With Values

The company said that continuing to sell in the occupied territories was “inconsistent with our values”. Since 1967, Israel has maintained control of the areas.  The company said that the decision reflected the concerns of its fans and trusted partners. They announced the move on their social media pages. 

In addition, Ben & Jerry will also let its current licensing agreements expire by the end of 2021.  The ice cream maker operates a factory and two scoop shops in Israel. In a statement, the company said that “We have a longstanding partnership with our licensee, who manufactures Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Israel and distributes it in the region.

We have been working to change this, and so we have informed our licensee that we will not renew the license agreement when it expires at the end of next year.” 

Pressure From Woke Activists

The ice cream company did not explain why they decided to announce this. However, the company faced years of pressure from activists and woke groups that wanted a boycott of Israel. Also, Ben & Jerry’s did not say how they plan to stop its products from reaching the places they don’t want to be seen in.

Delivering and distributing the ice cream products will now work under a different agreement. The company said they will announce the details when they’re ready to do so.

Meanwhile, UK firm Unilever, the brand owner since 2000, washed its hands off the decision, the ice cream maker operates independently and has its own board. In a statement, Unilever said that while they do not object to Ben & Jerry's decision, they remain “fully committed” to maintaining a presence in Israel.

Morally Wrong

Meanwhile, the Israeli government slammed Ben & Jerry’s for their move. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the ice cream company’s decision is morally wrong. “The boycott of Israel – a democracy surrounded by islands of terror – reflects a complete loss of bearings. The boycott does not work and will not work, and we will fight it with all our might,” he said.

Outside of Israel, the 43-year-old company boasts of a track record of supporting a lot of social issues. This includes declaring their support for hotbed issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.

Watch the National News report on Ben & Jerry's announcement to end sales in Occupied Palestinian Territory:

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Do you agree or disagree with Ben & Jerry’s decision to pull out their presence in Palestinian-occupied territories? Also, how do you will this help solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem?

Let us know what you think about Ben & Jerry’s and their social activism. Share your comments in the comments section below.