Ben & Jerry’s lost its bid to stop the sale of branded ice cream in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. The initiative was announced last year, but has now been stopped by the courts. Ben & Jerry’s justifies the move with possible reputational damage.
British multinational Unilever, owner of Ben & Jerry’s, sold the rights to exploit the brand in Israel to Avi Zinger, an Israeli license holder, according to The Guardian. It was this company that continued to produce branded ice cream in Tel Aviv and sell it in the occupied territories, against the wishes of the company.
This Monday, Ben & Jerry’s knew the final defeat. The US court ruled that the ice cream brand “failed to show” that the initiative to sell the products in the territories occupied by Israel had caused “irreparable damage” and, therefore, it will have to continue selling them.
In July of last year, the ice cream brand had already declared that it intended to stop selling its products in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, considering it “incompatible with the values” of the company.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand will no longer be sold in the occupied Palestinian territories
On July 5 of this year, Ben & Jerry’s requested that any agreement allowing the distribution or sale of its products in the Israeli-occupied territories dissolved and that any other operation of this nature be submitted to the Board of Directors so that it can give it the “green light”.
The ice cream brand also filed a complaint alleging that Unilever’s decision was “made without the consent of the Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board.”
In addition to ice cream, the brand is known for its activism, which includes protecting the environment and defending human rights. Ben & Jerry’s sells in Israel since 1987 and the current contract ends this year.
Source: Observadora
