“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 shared in a statement.
Vermont-based ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s announced Monday that it will no longer sell its ice cream in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Ben & Jerry’s will end sales of our ice cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Read our full statement: https://t.co/2mGWYGN4GA pic.twitter.com/kFeu7aXOf3
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) July 19, 2021
“Although Ben & Jerry’s will no longer be sold in the OPT, we will stay in Israel through a different arrangement,” the company continued.
The brand will no longer sell ice cream in the West Bank area and the east Jerusalem area, according to the Associated Press (AP). Israel won the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967 during the Six-Day War. Some 700,000 Israeli citizens live in the two territories, according to the AP.
Israel considers east Jerusalem as part of the capital but believes the West Bank is a disputed territory, according to the report. Members of the International community, however, claim both areas are occupied.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett criticized the move as “anti-Israel” in a tweet.
“Ben & Jerry’s decided to label itself as anti-Israel,” Bennett tweeted. “This is an ethically bereft decision, and I believe that it will come to be one that is wrong from a business standpoint as well. The boycotting of Israel – an island democracy surrounded by terror – reflects a complete lack of proportions. The boycott will not work, we will fight it with everything we’ve got.”