The chair of Ben & Jerry’s board told NBC News on July 19 that their parent company, Unilever, didn’t seek their approval for saying in a statement that they will still operate in Israel.
On July 19, Ben & Jerry’s posted a statement to their website saying that “it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” and that “will stay in Israel through a different arrangement.”
But Ben & Jerry’s Board of Directors released a statement saying: “The statement released by Ben & Jerry’s regarding its operation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (the OPT) does not reflect the position of the independent board, nor was it approved by the independent board. By taking a position and publishing a statement without the approval of the independent board on an issue directly related to Ben & Jerry’s social mission and brand integrity, Unilever and its CEO at Ben & Jerry’s are in violation of the spirit and the letter of the acquisition agreement.”
Anuradha Mittal, who chairs Ben & Jerry’s board, told NBC that they didn’t want the statement to say anything about staying in Israel. “I am saddened by the deceit of it. This is not about Israel. It is about the violation of the acquisition agreement that maintained the soul of the company.” Under the agreement, which was forged in 2000 when Unilever took over Ben & Jerry’s, “the board has to approve any changes to the product, licensing deals, new markets and social mission statements,” according to NBC.
“I can’t stop thinking that this is what happens when you have a board with all women and people of color who have been pushing to do the right thing,” Mittal said, proceeding to accuse Unilever of “trying to destroy the soul of the company. We want this company to be led by values and not be dictated by the parent company.” She added that the board would need to vote on whether Ben & Jerry’s stays in Israel.
Unilever released their own statement that read: “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a very complex and sensitive situation. As a global company, Unilever’s brands are available in more than 190 countries and in all of them, our priority is to serve consumers with essential products that contribute to their health, wellbeing and enjoyment. We remain fully committed to our presence in Israel, where we have invested in our people, brands and business for several decades.”
In response to Mittal’s comments, Stop Antisemitism tweeted that “Mittal wanted to boycott ALL of Israel but their parent company Unilever didn’t allow it,” calling for Unilever to take action against her.
“Anuradha Mittal’s sick obsession with Jews will result in dozens of Arab workers losing their employment,” Stop Antisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez said in a statement to the Journal. “How much of an antisemite do you have to be to punish those you claim you are trying to help? We demand she immediately step down and Unilever’s CEO intervene and clean up the mess she has created.”
Tablet’s Noam Blum tweeted out a Ynet News article in Hebrew stating that Ben & Jerry’s distributor says that “he’s going to have to fire his Palestinian workers” should the Ben & Jerry’s boycott prevent him from distributing “to settlements anymore since it’s such a big chunk of his business.” Blum also noted that the Palestinian workers for Ben & Jerry’s distributor “earn way above Palestinian Authority salaries.”
The distributor for Ben & Jerry's beyond the Green Line says he's going to have to fire his Palestinian workers, who have pay and benefits parity with their Israeli counterparts, and earn way above Palestinian Authority salaries. But people in Portland were happy so ¯_(ツ)_/¯
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) July 20, 2021
Here's the link. To be clear – he isn't firing them. He's basically saying he'll be forced to if the boycott means he can't distribute to settlements anymore since it's such a big chunk of his business. https://t.co/xxNPaK2JBR
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) July 20, 2021
The Israel Advocacy Movement also posted a video to Twitter alleging that Mittal is a “rabid anti-Zionist” based on her past tweets.
🔴 WATCH: Ben and Jerry's boycott Israel
Meet Anuradha Mittal… a rabid anti-Zionist… and the chair of Ben and Jerry's board of directors! 🤮 pic.twitter.com/rV6ifIrOOs
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) July 20, 2021
Mittal did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.
Ben & Jerry’s has come under fire since the July 19 announcement. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Unilever “that Israel sees that decision as having serious consequences, both legal and otherwise,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
The ice cream company’s Israel distributor also denounced Ben & Jerry’s decision as “unacceptable” in a statement, The Times of Israel reported. “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. We urge the Israeli government and consumers — don’t let them boycott Israel. Keep ice cream out of politics.”
Some supermarkets have said they’re going to cut back on their distribution of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Avi Kaner, who co-owns the Morton Williams supermarket chain, told The New York Post that his stores will implement a 70% cutback on Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and bury the ice cream in the “least desirable locations” in the store. Morton Williams also said in a statement, “This action is taken in response to Ben & Jerry’s boycott of Jewish communities that are at the center of a territorial dispute in Israel, including the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem – inhabited by Jews for over 3,000 years.”
Shalom Kosher, a Kosher supermarket in Silver Spring, MD, also announced that they would be removing all Ben & Jerry’s products from their store.
Our local kosher supermarket in Silver Spring MD just dropped Ben & Jerry’s too. pic.twitter.com/nS3nrzPFWP
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) July 20, 2021
Stop Antisemitism released a list of stores that “that have pulled @benandjerrys products.”
Thank you to the following grocery stores/chains that have pulled @benandjerrys products from their stores.
👉🏻 Aron’s Kissena Farms
👉🏻 Morton Williams
👉🏻 Gourmet Glatt
👉🏻 Glatt Express
👉🏻 Grove Kosher
👉🏻 Seasons Kosher
👉🏻 Cedar MarketBoycotts work both ways @Unilever
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) July 20, 2021
The Anti-Defamation League was among those that criticized Ben & Jerry’s, tweeting that they were “disappointed” by their decision. “You can disagree with policies without feeding into dangerous campaigns that seek to undermine Israel.”
We are disappointed by this decision from @benandjerrys.
You can disagree with policies without feeding into dangerous campaigns that seek to undermine Israel. https://t.co/0560qt5sL9— ADL (@ADL) July 19, 2021
On the other hand, Jeremy Ben-Ami, President of J Street, tweeted: “When a major ice cream company originally founded by two Jewish entrepreneurs decides not to sell its products in the occupied territories, that isn’t antisemitism.” He added in a later tweet, “Instead of demonizing and attacking companies and individuals making principled decisions about how to interact financially with the occupation, these leaders would make a greater contribution to the fight against antisemitism by helping end the unjust and harmful occupation.”
When a major ice cream company originally founded by two Jewish entrepreneurs decides not to sell its products in the occupied territories, that isn’t antisemitism.
1/3— Jeremy Ben-Ami (@JeremyBenAmi) July 19, 2021
Instead of demonizing and attacking companies and individuals making principled decisions about how to interact financially with the occupation, these leaders would make a greater contribution to the fight against antisemitism by helping end the unjust and harmful occupation.
3/3— Jeremy Ben-Ami (@JeremyBenAmi) July 19, 2021
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