Ben & Jerry’s criticises deal that will resume sales in occupied territories
Ben & Jerry’s has said it does not agree with its parent company’s decision to sell off the ice-cream brand’s Israeli business.
Unilever announced this week it had sold off Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel in an attempt to extricate itself from a row over sales of the ice-cream in settlements in the West Bank.
Ben & Jerry’s independent board announced last summer that the brand would no longer sell its products in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying to do so was “inconsistent with our values”.
The decision was one of the highest-profile boycotts by a well-known brand of Israel’s settlements, which are regarded as illegal under international law.
Ben and Jerry’s board had planned not to renew a licence with its local partner – American Quality Products (AQP) – which made and distributed the ice-cream in Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, when it expired at the end of this year.
However, Unilever said this week it had sold the Israeli arm of Ben & Jerry’s to Avi Zinger, the owner of AQP.
Under the terms of the deal, ice-cream with the same flavours and similar artwork will continue to be sold across Israel but using only the Hebrew and Arabic version of the brand names – not the English brand, Ben & Jerry’s. A Unilever spokesperson said the company would not receive any licensing income from the sale of the products.
Ben & Jerry’s said: “While our parent company has taken this decision, we do not agree with it. We continue to believe it is inconsistent with Ben & Jerry’s values for our ice-cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
It added that Ben & Jerry’s would “no longer profit from Ben & Jerry’s in Israel”.
Unilever’s move was also criticised by one of its shareholders, KLP which is Norway’s
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