The ice-cream maker sued parent company Unilever for transferring production rights to an Israeli company.
By JNS.org
The attempt by ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry’s to stop sales of its products in Judea and Samaria was rejected Monday by a federal judge, reported Reuters.
Ben & Jerry’s brought the lawsuit on July 5 against its parent company Unilever after the latter announced it would sell the rights to produce its dessert products in Israel to American Quality Products Ltd. Owned by Israeli businessman Avi Zinger, American Quality Products has produced and delivered Ben & Jerry’s products in Israel for decades.
In the lawsuit, the Ben & Jerry’s board argued that the transfer breached a deal between them and Unilever because it circumvented the ice-cream company’s decision to end sales in what it considers “occupied Palestinian territory.”
Ben & Jerry’s claimed that to sell its products in Judea and Samaria is inconsistent with its values.
Around half a million Jews live in Judea and Samaria, which was the biblical heartland and has been home to Jewish communities for thousands of years.