Not long after the popular, Vermont-based ice-cream maker took a public stand against Israel's displacement of Palestinians, Ben & Jerry's parent company, Unilever, announced it does not support the boycott.
Unilever CEO Alan Jope released a public statement saying the company will not participate in the boycott divestment sanctions (BDS) movement.
"Unilever rejects completely and repudiates unequivocally any forms of discrimination or intolerance," Jope wrote in a July 27 letter to several Jewish organizations, including the U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL)," according to Reuters. "Anti-Semitism has no place in any society."
Unilever is a consumer goods company based in London with more than 400 brands and products available in nearly 200 countries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index.
The company acquired Ben & Jerry's from co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 2000.
Ben & Jerry's company executives made the decision to not renew the company's licensing agreement after Israel's recent displacement of Palestinians, to which Cohen and Greenfield gave their support in an OP-ED published by the New York Times.
"While we no longer have any operational control of the company we founded in 1978, we’re proud of its action and believe it is on the right side of history," they wrote. "In our view, ending the sales of ice cream in the occupied territories is one of the most important decisions the company has made in its 43-year history. It was especially brave of the company. Even though it undoubtedly knew that the response would be swift and powerful, Ben & Jerry’s took the step to align its business and operations with its progressive values."
For the parent corporation's part, Jope wants the public to know that Unilever plans to continue its business relationships with Israel.
"I think if there's one message I want to underscore … it's that Unilever remains fully committed to our business in Israel," Jope stated, according to Reuter's.