Agencies – Gaza Post
Ben & Jerry’s products are forbidden in Israeli settlements
After being prevented from selling its trademark and rights in Israel to an Israeli company that will distribute its products in settlements in the occupied West Bank, the well-known American management company Ben & Jerry’s declared that it will sue the parent company, “Unilever,” which holds the majority of its shares.
Media reports claim that the legal dispute arose as a result of parent company Unilever’s announcement last week that it will sell AQP the rights to manufacture and distribute the brand for decades throughout the occupied areas, including in settlements.
At the time, the accord was seen as a win for “Israel” by the Prime Minister of the Occupation’s Interim Government (Yair Lapid), but shortly the Ben & Jerry administration rejected it.
The management of the beverage company requested an emergency injunction from a US federal court in New York to halt the transfer of any assets to the Israeli company AQP and its Israeli owner, Avi Zenger.
the occupation government’s claims that it compelled the business to change its 2021 decision to terminate the licensing arrangement to sell its products in settlements constructed on Palestinian property are refuted by the American Beverage Company’s lawsuit.
The business stated in a statement today that it “continues to believe that selling our products in the occupied Palestinian territories is against the company’s beliefs.”
In a legal lawsuit submitted on Tuesday, the business claimed that, in violation of the purchase agreement, Unilever had announced the sale of its brand and operations in Israel despite the board of directors of Ben & Jerry’s objecting.
The board intended to terminate the licensing arrangement with the Israeli distributor because, according to the complaint, it “had reached its decision that sales of Ben & Jerry’s products in the West Bank are incongruous with corporate values.”
The complaint went on to say that trying to get Ben & Jerry’s to cede its trademark and rights in Israel to a business that sells in settlements would confuse the company’s customers and the general public, damage the brand’s reputation, and undermine Ben & Jerry’s long-standing commitment to social justice and peace. Additionally, it poses a threat to the company’s long-established reputation.
