On Tuesday, Ben & Jerry’s’ board of directors condemned the sale of products bearing its name in Israel’s West Bank.
The company announced last year that it would stop selling ice cream in annexed East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, saying selling in areas sought by Palestinians was “contrary to our values.”
For many in the international community, settlements are primarily considered illegal and a disturbance to the peace. Associated Press I will report it.
Earlier this year, London-based consumer goods company Unilever, which acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, announced it would sell Ben & Jerry’s. business interests In Israel, the plan was for a local company to sell Ben & Jerry’s ice cream under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank.
Ben & Jerry’s independent board of directors said in a statement Tuesday that the sale of Unilever was done without board consent and that the products sold by Blue & White Ice Cream Co. were “manufactured and distributed by Ben & Jerry’s Homemade.” It should not be confused with products that do.” ”
“Ben & Jerry’s position is clear: Selling products bearing the Ben & Jerry’s insignia in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is contrary to our values,” the statement said.
On Wednesday, Unilever announced that it sold its Ben & Jerry’s business interests in Israel last June.
“While the brand ownership is different, Ben & Jerry’s products are no different from those enjoyed in Israel for many years,” the company said in a statement.
In August, a federal judge denied Ben & Jerry’s request to block Unilever’s plan to allow its products to be sold in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. At the time, the judge said the ice cream company could not prove that Unilever’s decision would harm Ben & Jerry’s social mission or confuse customers.
When Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, the acquisition agreement stated that the ice cream maker’s board could make decisions about its social mission, but that Unilever could make financial and operational decisions. It stated that a final decision would be made.
Tuesday, Unilever announced In addition to Ben & Jerry’s, other ice cream businesses such as Magnum and Cornetto will also be spun off to focus more on “great brands with strong positions in highly attractive categories with complementary operating models.” is. The spin-off is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
According to reports CBS NewsUnilever said its ice cream businesses “have very different operating models and, as a result, the board has determined that separating ice cream best serves the future growth of both ice cream and Unilever.”
Unilever, which has 128,000 employees worldwide, also announced the launch of a “productivity program” to eliminate around 7,500 mainly office-based jobs.
Image credit: Unsplash/Mirko Fabian
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to Christian Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
