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Ben & Jerry's to freeze ice cream sales in West Bank settlements

The decision to pull out of occupied Palestinian territories has been met with mixed responses, with many users noting that the company will continue its presence in Israel.
2 min read
Ben & Jerry's statement has received mixed reactions [Christiana Botic/The Boston Globe/Getty]

ice cream makers willÌýstop sellingÌýin the , in reference to illegal Israeli settlementsÌýacross the West Bank.

In a statement posted its website on Monday, the Vermont-based companyÌýsaidÌýit recognises "the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners".

"We have a longstanding partnership with our licensee, who manufactures Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Israel and distributes it in the region," the statement said.

"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."

SomeÌýsocial media users applauded the move by Ben & Jerry's, which has long been criticised for its stance on Palestine.

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Campaigners in VermontÌýhave fought the firm on its relationships in Israel as ofÌý2012 or before,Ìý±á²¹²¹°ù±ð³Ù³úÌýsaid.

"Thank you for not profiting from occupation and [a]partheid," Twitter user Samar D Jarrah said.

Meanwhile, Americans for Peace Now, a group concerned with Palestine-Israel, it "congratulates Ben and Jerry's for making a principled distinction between sovereign Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal and illegitimate".

However, while its products will not be sold in the occupied territories, Ben & Jerry'sÌý"will stay in Israel through a different arrangement".

This part of their message was cited negativelyÌýby many TwitterÌýusers.

One individual, referencing the commitment to remain in Israel, : "Oh, cool so this is meaningless."

The company, which presents itself as a socially progressive brand, was slammed last monthÌýfor its agreementÌýwith an Israeli factory supplying illegal settlements,Ìý±á²¹²¹°ù±ð³Ù³úÌýsaid.

Despite causes such asÌýBlack Lives Matter and coming out against the in January, Ben & Jerry's has not publically backedÌýthe Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

The peaceful, Palestinian-headed movement calls for economic and other forms of pressure to be leveraged to force Israel to stop violations of Palestine's sovereignty and the rights of its people.

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