Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid demanded U.S. action against Ben & Jerry’s on Monday after the ice cream company announced they would no longer sell their products in Judea and Samaria, which they described as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
“Ben & Jerry’s decision represents shameful surrender to antisemitism, to BDS and to all that is wrong with the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish discourse. We will not be silent,” Lapid tweeted.
“Over 30 states in the United States have passed anti-BDS legislation in recent years. I plan on asking each of them to enforce these laws against Ben & Jerry’s. They will not treat the State of Israel like this without a response,” Lapid added.
To date, 35 states have passed legislation against the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
Over 30 states in the United States have passed anti-BDS legislation in recent years. I plan on asking each of them to enforce these laws against Ben & Jerry's. They will not treat the State of Israel like this without a response.
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid🟠 (@yairlapid) July 19, 2021
Ben & Jerry’s announced Monday that it would go against their values to allow their frozen treats to be sold in “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Their statement read:
We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). We also hear and recognize 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. We have been working to change this, and so we have informed our licensee that we will not renew the license agreement when it expires at the end of next year.
Although Ben & Jerry’s will no longer be sold in the OPT, we will stay in Israel through a different arrangement. We will share an update on this as soon as we’re ready.
Ben & Jerry’s have repeatedly made headlines over the years for issuing provocative political statements. In April, after Daunte Wright was shot in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, they tweeted that America’s police system “can’t be reformed” and “must be dismantled.”
“The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the international criminalization of Black and Brown communities,” Ben & Jerry’s wrote. “This system can’t be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up. #DefundThePolice.”
The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities.
This system can’t be reformed.
It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up.#DefundThePolice
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) April 12, 2021
In October 2018, Ben & Jerry’s rolled out a flavor called “Pecan Resist,” about which they tweeted: “Today we launch Pecan Resist! This flavor supports groups creating a more just and equitable nation for us all, and who are fighting President Trump’s regressive agenda.”
Today we launch Pecan Resist! This flavor supports groups creating a more just and equitable nation for us all, and who are fighting President Trump’s regressive agenda. Learn more and take action here >> https://t.co/Bi8YE1FvOZ pic.twitter.com/Kr6CKBX1sc
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) October 30, 2018
In 2017, Ben & Jerry’s came out against Australia for not accepting same-sex marriage by banning customers from having two scoops of the same flavor. Twenty-six stores in Australia were targeted. They issued a statement:
Imagine heading down to your local Scoop Shop to order your favorite two scoops of Cookie Dough in a waffle cone. But you find out you are not allowed – Ben & Jerry’s has banned two scoops of the same flavor. You’d be furious! But this doesn’t even begin to compare to how furious you would be if you were told you were not allowed to marry the person you love. So we are banning two scoops of the same flavor and encouraging our fans to contact their MPs to tell them that the time has come – make same sex marriage legal! Love comes in all flavours!
Related: Leftist Ben & Jerry’s Targets Israel: We Won’t Sell Ice Cream In Judea And Samaria