Unilever CEO: Ben & Jerry’s will find ‘new arrangement’ for ‘Israel’ sales

London (QNN)- Ben & Jerry’s will work to find a “new arrangement” this year for selling its ice cream in ‘Israel’ after the Vermont-based company announced it would no longer sell its products in the occupied Palestinian territories, its corporate parent said Thursday.

“Our absolute focus right now is to figure out what the new arrangement will be for Ben & Jerry’s,” Unilever CEO Alan Jope said on a conference call with journalists as Reuters reported on Thursday.

Jope did not directly criticize Ben & Jerry’s activism. However, he said, “On subjects where Unilever brands don’t have the expertise or credibility, we think it’s best that they stay out of the debate.”

“Ben & Jerry’s is a great brand – most of the time they get it right – they have a great track record of campaigning on important issues that are relevant to their consumers,” Jope added.

Ben & Jerry’s accounts for about 3% of the world’s ice cream market. The brand’s sales grew 9% last year, Unilever said, outpacing overall underlying sales growth of 4.5%. The company did not give further details on sales.

“I definitely would not make a connection between those (Ben & Jerry’s) statements and its sales growth,” Jope said.

“The growth that we’re seeing on Ben & Jerry’s is driven much more by their innovation program,” Jope added.

The Well-known American firm, Ben & Jerry’s, announced in July that it will no longer sell its products in occupied Palestinian territories, sparking backlash including divestments by some U.S. pension funds.

The firm, known for its progressive activities, has been silent on social media since last May, when ‘Israel’ were bombarding the besieged Gaza strip, killing over 250 Palestinians, most of them were children and women.

The company said in a statement on its website “it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).”

Israel’s Ambassador to the US and UN Gilad Erdan sent letters to the governors of the 35 American states that have anti-BDS laws, asking them to act against Ben & Jerry’s decision.

“I urged them to act against Ben & Jerry’s decision to not sell its products in the eastern part of Jerusalem and Judea & Samaria. We will make clear to Ben & Jerry’s that its antisemitic decision will have consequences,” Erdan said.