For Jerry Greenfield, being accused of antisemitism is “painful.” For Ben Cohen, it’s “absurd.” But both of the founders of the famed ice cream brand stand behind the decision to stop selling their products in the West Bank.
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“I think Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever are being characterized as boycotting Israel, which is not the case at all. It’s not boycotting Israel in any way,” Greenfield said.
The legendary duo founded their eponymous ice cream company in 1978 and, though no longer owners, remained involved in the company. They spoke about the fallout of the decision to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank in an interview with Axios that was released Sunday night.
“I think it’s fine to be involved with a country, to be a citizen of a country and to protest some of the country’s actions. And that’s essentially what we’re doing in terms of Israel. We hugely support Israel’s right to exist, but we are against a particular policy,” Cohen said of the decision.
The company announced its decision to stop selling its ice cream in “Occupied Palestinian Territory” in July after the latest round of tensions between Israel and Hamas in May. The decision followed months of pressure on the company, which has long been engaged in social issues, from pro-Palestinian activists.
“We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the company said in a statement in July. “We also hear and recognize the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.”
The decision to stop selling its ice cream in the West Bank prompted calls to boycott Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever, the conglomerate that owns it. The state of Arizona divested nearly $200 million from Unilever in September and several other states have reviewed their investments in Unilever in light of the company’s decision regarding the West Bank.
In their interview with Axios, Greenfield and Cohen said the decision to halt sales in the West Bank did not constitute a boycott. Unilever has also said that Ben & Jerry’s is not boycotting Israel, and that it plans to keep selling within Israel’s 1967 borders. Whether that is actually possible is unclear in light of and Israeli law that bans boycotts of the West Bank.
When asked why the company continued to sell its ice cream in states with policies that were not in line with the founders’ values like Texas, where access to abortion is limited, and Georgia, where voting rights have been curtailed, Cohen did not have an answer.
“I don’t know. I mean it’s an interesting question, I don’t know what that would accomplish, we’re working on those issues of voting rights and…I don’t know. I think you ask a really good question, and I think I’d have to sit down and think about it for a bit,” Cohen said.
Greenfield suggested that the answer had to do with international law. “One thing that’s different is that what Israel is doing is considered illegal by international law, so I think that’s a consideration,” Greenfield said.
When asked how it felt to be “wrapped up in accusations of antisemitism,” the men were more sure of their answers.
“Totally fine,” Cohen said, laughing at the very idea. “It’s absurd. What, I’m anti-Jewish? I’m a Jew! All my family is Jewish, my friends are Jewish,”
“I understand people being upset, it’s a very emotional issue for a lot of people and I totally understand it and it’s a very painful issue for a lot of people,” Greenfield said.
I boycott Ben & Jerry’s.
There have been and are many Jews, especially leftist Jews both in the US, the USSR and elsewhere, who “are Jews” and yet are anti-Jewish in their behavior and attitudes.
he can’t answer a simple question. a putz.
Ben and Jerry know a lot about chocolate ice cream. They know NOTHING about Jewish history. In history they are in kindergarten. Until 1967, the so called West Bank, really Yehuda and Shomron, was part of Jordan. This included half of Yerushalayim including the Old City and the Western Wall. Israel never expected to conquer or occupy this land even though it is our Biblical homeland. In 1967, Jordan, Egypt and Syria started a war with the intention of annihilating Israel and throwing every Jewish person into the sea. Israel went on a defensive war, to protect itself from being destroyed. Hashem made a great miracle for the Jewish people and they were were victorious over their murderous enemies and captured the Sinai and Yehuda and Shomron. Israel never went to war to occupy this land. Although the Arabs and world have created the BIG LIE about so called OCCUPATION, Israel captured Yehuda and Shomron in a DEFENSIVE WAR which the Arabs started to totally destroy them. Hashem made a great miracle and Israel was victorious. They pushed back their enemies and regained land that historically belonged to the Jewish people for over 2,000 years. We are not occupiers. We are victors in a war of annihilation. There was never a war in history where the victors in a war of annihilation returned land that they won. The only thing Israel did wrong was not to immediately annex this land and make it part of Israel proper. To this day it is governed under a different set of laws. Israel needs to annex this land immediately and stop this travesty and stop worrying about what the world will think. The world will hate us no matter what we do. So dear Ben and Jerry ,,,,, the Jewish people will survive without your Cherry Garcia ice cream. We have survived a lot worse than that!!!!!! And you will go into the dust heap of history with all our enemies.
She got them with the Texas and Georgia question. Truly.
Typical leftwing terrorist supporting scum
if these two are Jewish they would know that eretz Yisroel was given to the Jewish people by the One Above – and in pieces but THE WHOLE LAND
2 POS leftist self-hating Jews. Israel took Judea and Samaria in a defensive war which is entirely legal under international law.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea for a lot of us to stop eating ice cream b’chlal. Maybe lose a pound or two.
I am sure they sell in the China and Russia two of the worst violators of oppression. I guess that is ok. Not sure which of the two, Ben or Jerry is the bigger moron.
Karl Marx was a Jew and had many Jewish friends, too.
What is it about the ’67 borders that B and J respect so deeply? I don’t get it!
Let them sell their ice cream in Gaza, I am certain that the Arabs love them….
They are super liberal self hating Jews. I used to buy B&J’s ice cream weekly, now, never again! I see the stock piling up at my local Publix. Most people find better choices in ice cream. They can offer all the excuses in the world, but they are a partner in this antisemitic behavior.
Do they sell ice cream in Crimea?
They can’t answer a simple question because they have smoked so much pot that their neurons are burned! Look at their faces, it’s not hard to tell