Ben & Jerry’s will stop selling ice cream in the Palestinian Territories

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But the brand has come under scrutiny over its ties to Israel in recent years as tensions flared in the region.

In a June 2020 statement, the company said the Vermont-based company has joined the liberal causes, including diverting some of the money earmarked for police departments and investing “that money in community-led solutions that promote true health, peacekeeping, and safety.” The company called on the United States to end white supremacy and launched a podcast about racism in America last year. In December 2020, Ben & Jerry’s unveiled a dairy-free ice cream flavor inspired by Colin Kaepernick called “Change the Whirled.”

Fans have taken the company to do business in Israel — particularly in West Bank settlements, which are illegal under international law — arguing that it does not align with Ben & Jerry’s liberal image.

The company has been mostly silent on the matter. In 2015, Ben & Jerry’s posted on its website that it was “fully aware of the complexity of the local market,” and that it believed it could influence positive change by maintaining its presence in the region.

But on Monday, Ben & Jerry’s changed its stance, saying it had heard and acknowledged the concerns shared by its fans and partners.

Ben & Jerry’s said it has informed the licensee in Israel that its agreement will not be renewed when it expires at the end of 2022. After that, Ben & Jerry’s will not be sold in the Palestinian territories. Ben & Jerry’s said the company’s ice cream would continue to be sold in Israel “through a different arrangement,” noting that it would share those details with customers in the future.

Israeli politicians criticized the decision to brand the ice cream. The country’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, said Ben & Jerry’s has decided to label itself as “anti-Israel ice cream”.

Ayelet Shaked, Israel’s interior minister, tweeted her disdain for Ben and Jerry’s decision on Monday.

“Your ice cream doesn’t match our taste,” she said. “We will run without you.”

The Israeli-Palestinian relationship is fraught with conflict, with some differences stemming from those who settled in the land thousands of years ago. International law considers East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Gaza to be occupied territory under United Nations Security Council resolutions, although this characterization is disputed by Israel. .

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