Ben & Jerry’s stoping sales in occupied Palestinian territory

July 19, 2021- 5:31 p.m.

Two rows of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream pints in a freezer shelf Shutterstock After facing public pushback, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has announced it will no longer be selling its ice cream in Israeli settlements in Palestine.

“We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT),” the company said in a statement.

“We also hear and recognize the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.”

The company said it has declined to renew its licensing agreement, which expires at the end of next year, with its distributor in the region.

With the recent 11-day war between Israel and Palestine resulting in over 250 mostly-Palestinian casualties and thousands of Palestinians being displaced from their homes, many have turned their attention to the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement.

The movement aims to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law,” over what the Human Rights Watch calls Israel’s “crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution” against Palestine.

Ben & Jerry’s is known not just for its ice cream, but for the company’s commitment to social justice.

The company was founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978, and though it’s been owned by Unilever since 2000, it continues to espouse a socially-conscious ethos.

In the past few years, the company released a flavor dedicated to progressive Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, declared its support for Black Lives Matter, and encouraged Austin voters to say no to a proposition that would essentially criminalize homeless encampments.

“We are committed to honoring the rights of all people to live with liberty, security, self-esteem, and freedom of expression and protest, and to have the opportunity to provide for their own needs and contribute to society,” Ben & Jerry’s says in its values statement.