Ben & Jerry's Will No Longer Sell Ice Cream In 'Palestinian Territories Occupied By Israel'
Ice cream chain Ben & Jerry's, known for clever ice cream names, political activism, and combinations of those two things yesterday announced it will stop selling ice cream in "Occupied Palestinian Territory," interpreted by many as taking the side of Palestine in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)," read the ice cream chain's statement. "Although Ben & Jerry’s will no longer be sold in the OPT, we will stay in Israel through a different arrangement."
Ben & Jerry's has been praised by activists for its support of progressive causes but has been silent on social media since the bombings between Hamas and Israel in May. Prior to today's announcement, the company has been relatively neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Beginning in 2013, activists have pressured Ben & Jerry's to stop selling ice cream from their Israeli franchise in territories like the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In 2015, the company put out a statement ducking the pressure, but reversed their position yesterday, making it one of the biggest corporations to take the Palestinian side in the ongoing conflict.
The reaction to the announcement was essentially split down ideological lines on Twitter, with progressives praising the announcement and conservatives slamming it.
Serious question: has @BenandJerrys ever refused to sell its products in any other disputed territory, anywhere in the world--or is this the only one? https://t.co/9PM2nHievA
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) July 19, 2021
In response to the ban, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said the state will "act aggressively," though it is unclear what that entails.
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ZiggyZig
Did they actually sell any ice cream in Palestine in the first place? I'd assume Palestinian people have more important things to do with their money than buying ice cream.
Crystal Geyser
Oh no, how will they cope?!
ConspiracyNut
Less money going to the suger-turds who run Ben & Jerry's, horay!
WarLordM
So they're not selling ice cream to Palestinians until they succeed in their quest for political independence? I think they have bigger problems, don't you?
Chewybunny
So. Evidently this was done against the wishes of it's parent company, Unilever . But on top of this, this entire thing seems like nothing more than virtue signaling. Settlers in the WB can drive a few minutes into Israel proper and buy all the B&J they want, however, Palestinians in the WB are no longer able to do this. On top of that, just like the infamous shooting-yourself-in-the-foot which was the SodaStream boycott, it was revealed today that Noam Blum, the owner of the biggest distributor of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream beyond the green line said he would have to lay off a significant part of his staff, of whom are mostly Palestinians themselves (who earn far more than Palestinians in WB), if they cannot renew their license.
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Reminder that you live in a time when a country's prime minister has stated they will "active aggressively" against ice cream.
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A Concerned Rifleman
It's more likely that they'll act against the parent company, Unilever. You'd be surprised how many nuclear options there are any nation-state has against a single company.
Steven The Pirate
Is Ben and Jerry's any good? I've never had it since my family was poor and I'm a cheap cunt so I always buy off brand.
Bilbo Swaggins
Their brand is overhyped, but their ice cream is indeed good
Rynjin
Pretty overpriced, but frequently on sale and well worth getting when it is. Probably my favorite "name" brand ice cream, but I have a big soft spot in my heart for Publix store brand that makes it at least seem to me like it's almost as good.
Cherry Garcia is a good place to start for Ben and Jerry's, by the by. Simple enough you can actually taste the quality of the ingredients. The kookier flavors are good too though.
ObadiahtheSlim
It is good. But it's over rated and over priced. In most markets, you can get ice cream that is just as good or better for less. You're not missing anything special.