Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned Unilever Plc Chief Executive Officer Alan Jope that Ben & Jerry’s plans to halt sales in Jewish West Bank settlements and places of east Jerusalem will have “serious repercussions, legal and otherwise.”
Bennett mentioned the Unilever ice cream brand had taken a “blatantly anti-Israel step” and that the government would act aggressively against any boycott aimed at its citizens. The territories, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, are claimed by the Palestinians as the core of a future state.
Ben & Jerry’s, founded in Vermont in 1978, has a history of publicly embracing socially progressive causes, from identical-sex marriage to the Black Lives Matter movement. When it was bought by customer goods giant Unilever two decades ago, Ben & Jerry’s insisted on maintaining its personal board and sustaining independence more than its social mission and brand integrity.
“We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the maker of flavors such as Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey mentioned in a statement Monday.
The enterprise plans to finish a lengthy-standing partnership at the finish of next year with the licensee that manufactures Ben & Jerry’s in Israel and distributes it in the area.
Ben & Jerry’s will finish sales of our ice cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Read our complete statement: https://t.co/2mGWYGN4GApic.twitter.com/kFeu7aXOf3
— Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) July 19, 2021
There are indicators the controversial selection is testing relations among Ben & Jerry’s and its parent.
According to NBC News, Anuradha Mittal, the chair of the ice cream maker’s board of directors, mentioned the statement Unilever released on its behalf — which says that Ben & Jerry’s will remain in Israel — wasn’t authorized by the panel she oversees, as it need to have been.
“I am saddened by the deceit of it,” Mittal mentioned, according to NBC. “This is not about Israel. It is about the violation of the acquisition agreement that maintained the soul of the company.”
‘Fully Committed’
In a separate statement, Unilever mentioned it has generally recognized the correct of Ben & Jerry’s and its board to take choices about its social mission, and welcomes the reality that the ice cream brand will remain in Israel.
Unilever remains “fully committed to our presence in Israel, where we have invested in our people, brands and business for several decades,” the enterprise mentioned, declining to comment additional.
Unilever shares rose .6% by 10:39 a.m. in London trading, leaving them small changed so far this year.
Israel has effectively resisted boycotts in the previous. Two years ago, Airbnb Inc. backtracked on a controversial selection to cease renting houses in Jewish settlements of the West Bank right after hosts in the disputed area sued the home-sharing startup.
Palestinians and their supporters in the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement have targeted Israeli-owned corporations for years, carrying out small financial harm even though obtaining more achievement in undermining the country’s image. Israel says BDS aims to delegitimize the nation as a entire.
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