Ben & Jerry's announced on Monday it will stop selling its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested East Jerusalem, saying it is "inconsistent with our values."
The Vermont-based company, owned by Unilever, is known for supporting liberal causes, and has received pushback for years from customers who do not approve of them selling their products in places like the West Bank, where Israeli settlements are not recognized under international law. In 2015, Ben & Jerry's said it was aware of how "complex the local market can be," but was hopeful that its presence in the region was positive, CNN reports.
Six years later, the company is taking a different approach, with Ben & Jerry's saying it has notified its licensee in Israel that when its deal expires at the end of 2022, it will not be renewed. After that point, Ben & Jerry's products will no longer be sold in Palestinian territories, but will be available in Israel "through a different arrangement."
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Ben & Jerry's is now "the anti-Israel ice cream," and Israeli Minister of Interior Ayelet Shaked tweeted that the "ice cream is not in line with our taste. We will manage without you."