Ben & Jerry’s has decided to cancel its licensee with Israel that has been in place since 1987, ending their agreement in occupied Palestinian territories after its expiration in 2022, with plans to continue in other areas.
Ben & Jerry’s has decided to cancel its licensee with Israel, ending its agreement in Palestinian territories after its expiration in 2022.
Ben & Jerry’s has been doing work in Israel since 1987, and though the ice-cream giant previously addressed concerns in relation to the Israeli conflict in 2015, it has now opted to change its business dealings.
The Israeli-Palestinian relationship has had longstanding conflict, with some of the disagreements stemming from who settled in the land thousands of years ago.
This includes which areas are considered occupied territory, because International law considers East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Gaza as occupied territory under United Nations Security Council Resolutions, but that characterization is disputed by Israel, according to CNN Business.
Israeli politicians blasted the decision by the ice-cream brand, including the country’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, and Ayelet Shaked, Israel's minister of interior, who tweeted her disdain for Ben & Jerry's' decision Monday.
"Your ice cream is not in line with our taste," she said. "We will manage without you."
Ben & Jerry’s will continue to do business in other areas, “through a different arrangement,” the company said, according to CNN.
