Asked for the White House's position on US-based ice cream company Ben & Jerry's announcement it would halt sales beyond the Green Line, US State Depart Spokesman Ned Price said Washington opposes the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.
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"I don't have a reaction to offer regarding the actions of a private company. But more broadly, what I will say is that we firmly reject the BDS movement, which unfairly singles out Israel.
"While the Biden-Harris administration will fully and always respect the First Amendment rights of our citizens, of the American people, the United States will be a strong partner in fighting efforts around the world that potentially seek to delegitimize Israel and will work tirelessly to support Israel's further integration into the international community," he said.
On Monday, a statement posted to the ice cream company's website read: "We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry's ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)," referring to the official UN terminology for Judea and Samaria. "We also hear and recognize the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners," it said.
The company, whose headquarters are in the liberal state of Vermont, noted: "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 company added that it would continue to operate in Israel "through a different arrangement."
Although it was unclear if this was part of the BDS campaign waged against Israel among some leftwing circles in the US, the move appears to fall in line with the goals pushed by progressive radicals on the Left in the US and beyond, which have accused the company of being part of Israel's alleged discriminatory practices against Palestinians.
The company has recently come under attack by BDS activists over its willingness to operate in Israel through a licensee that sells its product in Judea and Samaria. During the recent Gaza war, the attacks intensified and the latest move appears to be the company's response to this criticism.
Israel plans to take its fight to the international stage as well and is urging US states to crackdown on Ben & Jerry's over its capitulation to BDS.
As of 2021, 35 states have passed bills and executive orders designed to discourage boycotts of Israel. Many of them have been passed with broad bipartisan support.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan has sent a letter to the governors of all 35 states asking them to take measures against the ice cream maker.
He further cited the lawsuits and steps by several US states against home-rental company Airbnb after it announced a boycott on Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria in 2018.
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