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Unilever Chief Tells Ben & Jerry’s Not to ‘Stray Into Geopolitics’ After Dispute Over Israel Boycott
by Shiryn Ghermezian
A woman stands behind a machine that is part of a toothpaste manufacturing line at the Unilever factory in Lagos, Nigeria January 18, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
The CEO of Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever said the ice cream-maker should refrain from getting involved in international relations and focus on other issues, following its decision to stop selling products in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem that sparked a legal dispute.
“There is plenty for Ben & Jerry’s to get their teeth into on their social justice mission without straying into geopolitics,” Unilever CEO Alan Jope told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. He added, “I’m sure the brand will continue to enjoy a very bright future doing just that.”
Jope also suggested that brands should focus on areas in which they have a long-term track record, which for Ben & Jerry’s could include climate change and social justice issues.
Ben & Jerry’s announced in July 2021 that it will discontinue sales of its ice cream products in areas it deemed “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
The Vermont-based ice cream company filed a lawsuit against Unilever earlier this month after the conglomerate announced it had sold its Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel to Avi Zinger, the owner of the American Quality Products (AQP), which is the current Israel-based licensee of Ben & Jerry’s products.
As part of the sale, AQP will continue selling Ben & Jerry’s ice cream throughout all of Israel under Hebrew and Arabic names. Ben & Jerry’s filed the lawsuit with the US District Court in Manhattan in an effort to block the sale of its Israeli business to Zinger.
Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever then agreed to a two-week mediation period to strike a deal to avoid litigation, in a decision reached shortly before a hearing set to take place in Manhattan federal court. If no settlement is reached by Thursday, an injunction hearing will again be scheduled.
Jope also told The Wall Street Journal that Unilever has no plans to sell Ben & Jerry’s, despite the companies differences. “The long-term future of Ben & Jerry’s is squarely part of Unilever,” he said.
