Left-wing US lobby group J Street has drawn criticism for launching what it calls a "pro-peace flavor competition" in support of ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry's decision to stop selling its products in Judea and Samaria.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
In a post to Twitter, J Street wrote: "GIVEAWAY: There's no way you've seen weeks of Ben & Jerry's coverage without coming up with a few puns in your head. So let us hear them! Send us your best pro-peace ice cream flavor idea. Our favorites will receive a *free pint* of @benandjerrys!"
Among the handful of serious suggestions J Street received were names such as "Peach Now" and "Give Peach a Chance."
GIVEAWAY: There's no way you've seen weeks of Ben & Jerry's coverage without coming up with a few puns in your head. So let us hear them!
Send us your best pro-peace ice cream flavor idea. Our favorites will receive a *free pint* of @benandjerrys! pic.twitter.com/e26If5ileZ— J Street (@jstreetdotorg) August 5, 2021
Critics of J Street's support for the ice-cream maker were more acerbic with their suggestions, proposing flavors such as "Mintifada," "Chocolate Hamas Delight," "Everything but the Jews," and "Chunky Haniyeh," the latter in reference to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
In what appears to be a decision aimed at singling out Israeli settlements, the US-based ice cream company Ben & Jerry's announced last month it would stop selling its products beyond the Green Linev after 2022. The move drew immediate condemnations from Israelis and a call to boycott the company's products.
On its website, it said, "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.
According to the company, whose headquarters are in the liberal state of Vermont, "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."
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called Ben & Jerry's move "a shameful surrender to antisemitism," while President Isaac Herzog called it "economic terrorism."
Israel plans to take its fight to the international stage as well and has urged US states to crack down on Ben & Jerry's over its capitulation to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.
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 sent a letter to the governors of all 35 states asking them to take measures against the ice cream maker.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
