In a notice posted on its website Monday, woke ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s announced plans to boycott Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, or what it called “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” in a move that sparked outrage.
“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 stated, but added it would continue to be sold in Israel.
The move marks a win for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has targeted the Vermont-based American company for the last decade.
The statement from Ben & Jerry’s went on to say: “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.”
“The decision is entirely unacceptable. Ben & Jerry’s international decided not to renew their agreement with us in a year and a half after we refused their demand to stop distribution throughout Israel,” the licensee responded. “We urge the Israeli government and consumers — don’t let them boycott Israel.”
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked also slammed the ice cream maker, saying, “Your ice cream brand doesn’t match our tastes. We’ll be fine without you.”
Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu chimed in, tweeting: “Now we Israelis know which ice cream NOT to buy.”