Ben & Jerry’s to stop sales in occupied Palestinian territories

20 July 2021, 11:32 | Updated: 20 July 2021, 13:50

Ben & Jerry’s has announced plans to stop sales in occupied Palestinian territories
Ben & Jerry’s has announced plans to stop sales in occupied Palestinian territories. Picture: PA / Twitter

By Emma Clarke

The Vermont-based ice cream company has announced plans to stop sales in the Israeli-occupied territories of West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The firm said it was "inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry's ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)".

In a statement on its website, Ben & Jerry's says it recognises “the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.”

“We have a longstanding partnership with our licensee, who manufactures Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream in Israel and distributes it in the region,” it continued.

“We have been working to change this, and so we have informed our licensee that we will not renew the licence agreement when it expires at the end of next year.”

Israeli Arab journalist and politician Aida Touma-Sliman wrote on Twitter that the decision was "appropriate and moral".

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called the move "morally wrong" and said it would prove to be "financially wrong".

Likewise, Israel's foreign minister Yair Lapid branded the decision a "shameful capitulation to antisemitism".

Both the West Bank and East Jerusalem were captured by Israel during the 1967 six-day war.

Over 700,000 Israeli settlers now live in the two territories, which are deemed illegal by most of the international community. Israel disputes this, though.

Unilever, the UK firm which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000, said it backed the decision, but remained "fully committed" to maintaining a foothold in Israel.

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Russia bombed Ukrainian infrastructure overnight

Russia launches 'massive attack' on Ukraine's power supplies, with 'energy security under growing threat'

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus falls from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing at least 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

France Valentino

Former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele named Valentino creative director

Russia Shooting

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

American Easter egg

White House’s annual Easter egg roll to be attended by 40,000 people

Barbers in Paris

Proposal to ban discrimination over a person’s hair passes first legal hurdle

Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian Authority names new government following pressure to reform

Arvind Kejriwal

Opposition leader Kejriwal locked up for further four days, court rules

Resident clears rubble from home

Russia wears down Ukrainian defences with missile and drone attacks