Israel Warns of ‘Severe Consequences’ Over Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Ban
‘anti-Israeli ice cream’
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet announced that his government will respond “aggressively” to Ben & Jerry’s decision to halt ice cream sales in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. “Ben & Jerry’s has decided to brand itself as the anti-Israeli ice cream,” wrote Bennett in a tweet Monday afternoon. He vowed “severe consequences” for the brand, including legal challenges. The warning comes after Unilever, the British conglomerate that owns the popular ice cream company, said Monday it will not renew its license to manufacture and distribute ice cream in Israel. “We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the company said. Ben and Jerry’s has taken a stand on political issues before, and made it a point to support the pursuit of social justice by condemning white supremacy.