Ben & Jerry's to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank and East Jerusalem


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."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
May 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include how much to pay for a pardon, medical advice from a brain worm, and a simple solution to the national debt.
-
5 costly cartoons about the national debt
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on the USA's financial hole, rare bipartisan agreement, and Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Why so many Thais were captured by Hamas
Under The Radar Five Thai farmers are returning home after they were released by Hamas last week