Ben & Jerry's ice cream will be able to continue to be offered in Judea and Samaria indefinitely, the company's parent company Unilever announced on Wednesday after reaching an agreement with the local franchisee. The agreement was made possible after the company sold its Ben & Jerry's ice cream business in Israel for an undisclosed sum, aiming to smooth over a potentially damaging diplomatic row.
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The announcement puts an end to a year-long dispute that began when Ben & Jerry's announced it would no longer allow its products to be sold in "occupied Palestinian territory" and would not renew its unique licensing arrangement with Ben & Jerry's Israel, which had run in one form or another for 34 years, beyond its current term, which expires at the end of 2022.
Under the new arrangement, welcomed by Israel, Ben & Jerry's ice cream will be available to all consumers in Israel, including in areas beyond the Green Line.
The new owner is the brand's long-time Israeli ice cream licensee Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products. After the announcement from a year ago, Zinger filed a lawsuit against Ben & Jerry's and Unilever for being forced to break Israeli and US law by pulling his products from both Israeli and Palestinian customers in Judea and Samaria.
"The new arrangement means Ben & Jerry's will be sold under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank under the full ownership of its current licensee," Unilever said.
Ben & Jerry's and its independent board maintained the right to decide on its social mission when it was bought by Unilever in 2000. But Unilever said it "reserved primary responsibility for financial and operational decisions and therefore has the right to enter this arrangement."
"Unilever is very proud of our business in Israel which supplies everyday household products to people across the country. Today, Unilever Israel employs around 2,000 people of diverse backgrounds, has four local manufacturing plants, and works with a network of around 2,000 local suppliers and service providers – helping to support the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Israelis across its value chain," the company said in a statement.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid lauded the announcement, saying "antisemitism will not defeat us, not even when it comes to ice cream."
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