New agreement in Israeloccupies Ben&Jerusalem ice cream with East Jerusalem despite protests by ice cream makers Will be returned to the west bank shelf. According to the brand-owning company Unilever, the Vermont company, which has long supported the
liberal reason for Israeli policy, disagreed with the decision and labeled it in Hebrew and Arabic. Customers who said it is unclear if the products sold only have the same appeal.
Israel welcomed this move as a victory for an ongoing campaign against a Palestinian-led boycott, investment withdrawal and sanctions movement. The BDS aims to bring economic pressure on Israel over the military occupation of the land that Palestinians want for the nation of the future.
Unilever, which acquired Ben&Jerry's in 2000, but distanced from last year's decision to stop selling on the territory of an ice cream maker, sold Israeli business profits to a local company. Said Wednesday. Ben&Jerry's ice cream will be sold throughout Israel and the West Bank under Hebrew and Arabic names.
Ben&When Jerry's was sold, the two companies had long-standing support from an ice cream maker's independent committee for liberal purposes such as racial justice, climate change and LGBTQ rights. I have agreed to be free to carry out its social mission, including. Campaign finance reform.
However, Unilever has the final say on financial and operational decisions.
Unilever said, "We took the opportunity last year to hear what we think of this complex and delicate issue and believe that this is the best result for Ben&Jerry of Israel." Said.
Unilever reiterated in its statement that it did not support the BDS movement. He said he was "extremely proud" of his business in Israel, which has about 2,000 employees and four manufacturing plants.
Unilever has sold its business to Avi Zinger, the owner of Israel-based American Quality Products Ltd. He sued Unilever and Ben in US federal court in March. He said it violated US and Israeli law.
Ginger's legal team said the decision by Unilever was part of the settlement. He thanked Unilever for solving the problem and taking a "strong and principled position" against BDS. "There is no room for discrimination in the commercial sale of ice cream," Ginger said.
Ben&Jerry said his parent company made the decision.
"We don't agree with that," the ice cream maker said in his Twitter account, adding that he could no longer benefit from selling the product in Israel.
"We continue to believe that Ben&Jerry's values for ice cream sold in the occupied Palestinian Territories are inconsistent."
Omar Shakir, director of Human Rights Watch in Israel and the Palestinian Territory, says Unilever undermines Ben&Jerry's "principle decision" to violate Israel's Palestinian human rights. Said he tried to avoid the conspiracy. is equivalent to apartheidand is an allegation that Israel categorically rejected it.
"Unsuccessful: Ben&Jerry does not do business in an illegal settlement. The next one may look and taste similar, but Ben&Jerry Without the recognized values of social justice, it's just a glass of ice cream. "
Israel welcomed this decision and supported the campaign against BDS in the United States and other regions. Thank you to the Governor and other elected officials. Unilever said he consulted with the Foreign Ministry throughout the process.
"Anti-Semitism does not beat us even when it comes to ice cream," Foreign Minister Yair Rapid said. "We will fight outlawing and boycott campaigns in all areas, whether in public squares, economic zones or moral territories."
Supported by virtually all Palestinian civil society BDS, a group under its umbrella, has shown its position as a non-violent protest movement modeled on a boycott campaign against Aparthate South Africa. It does not take an official position on how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and officially rejects anti-Semitism.
Israel sees BDS as an attack on its legitimacy, as some supporters have extreme views. Israel also points out the group's support for the right of return of millions of Palestinian refugees. This will spell the end of Israel as the nation of the majority of Jews. And BDS leaders refused to support a two-state solution to the conflict.
Ben&Jerry's decision seemed to be aimed at Israeli reconciliation, not a complete boycott. About 700,000 Jewish settlers live on the west bank of the occupied Jordan and East Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed and considers to be part of the capital. Israel occupied both territories during the 1967 Middle East War, and Palestinians want them to become part of the nation of the future.
Most international communities consider reconciliation a violation of international law. Palestinians consider them the main obstacle to peace. Becausethey absorb and divide the land where the future Palestinian state will be established. All Israeli governments have expanded their settlements, including at the height of the peace process in the 1990s.
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