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CRC Column

What’s the scoop on Ben & Jerry’s?

BY BOB HORENSTEIN encouraging that Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s parent
Like a banana split, the American Jewish com- company, has disavowed the BDS movement. In
munity is divided down the middle on the recent a letter to Jewish organizations, Unilever wrote,
decision by the U.S. company Ben & Jerry’s to “We look forward to investing in our business in
Published biweekly by stop selling its ice cream in what it called “Oc- Israel long into the future.”
Jewish Federation of cupied Palestinian Territory.” The Conference of However, the chairwoman of Ben & Jerry’s in-
Greater Portland Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations con- dependent board of directors, Anuradha Mittal,
9900 SW Greenburg Road, demned Ben & Jerry’s for “allying itself with the who enthusiastically endorsed the BDS move-
Suite 220 discriminatory and anti-Semitic BDS [Boycott, ment in 2018, has made known her displeasure
Tigard, OR 97223 Divestment and Sanctions] movement.” with Unilever for saying the ice cream would
503-245-6219 In stark contrast, J Street President Jeremy continue to be sold in Israel. Had it been up to
JewishPortland.org Ben-Ami declared, “Ben & Jerry’s decision is a the board, all Israeli Ben & Jerry’s patrons would
legitimate, peaceful protest against the systemic have been left out in the cold.
Ben & Jerry’s action, moreover, sets a prece-
Editor injustice of occupation and a reminder that the dent that differs from past boycotts that have gen-
settlements are, in fact, illegal under internation-
Deborah Moon al law.” J Street, along with several other pro- erally focused on products manufactured in the
editor@jewishportland.org gressive Jewish groups, expressed dismay that West Bank. It isn’t targeting a company located
503-892-7404 (message) “some have degraded the discussion around the in a West Bank settlement, as was the case with
issue by calling the move anti-Semitic.” SodaStream, or in a Jewish neighborhood of East
Circulation While it’s apparent that the very woke Ver- Jerusalem. The Israeli ice cream factory is situat-
To receive the Jewish mont-based ice cream company melted in the ed inside Israel between Ashkelon and Ashdod,
Review in your email inbox, face of pressure from the BDS movement, ac- and it relies heavily on milk products and work-
email your name and email cusations of anti-Semitism are misplaced. Nev- ers from that region. The boycott will force its
address to ertheless, the decision to boycott the settlements closure, putting hundreds of Israelis – including
editor@jewishportland.org – and I say this as someone who believes Israel Arab employees – out of work once it takes effect
should cease building outside the major settle- at the end of 2022.
OPINIONS printed in the ment blocs – is troubling, not to mention mis- If the wider implications are unclear, here’s the
Jewish Review do not guided. scoop: This precedent makes any Israeli compa-
If the aim of Ben & Jerry’s boycott is to promote ny that sells its products to the Jewish settlements
necessarily reflect those a two-state solution, it is – in the name of one of susceptible to boycotts. And make no mistake:
of the Jewish Review their ice cream flavors – “half-baked.” The most Actions that target businesses inside pre-1967
Committee, the Jewish likely outcome is that it will harden positions on Israel are, by definition, boycotts of the Jewish
Federation of Greater both sides – Palestinians, for whom the boycott state.
Portland, its governing will encourage continued rejection of Israel’s le- Not surprisingly, the Palestine Solidarity Cam-
board or the staffs of either gitimacy as a Jewish state, and Israelis, who will paign portrayed Ben & Jerry’s decision as a
the newspaper or the view it as yet another unjust double standard. major victory for the BDS movement. “This is
Federation. The company claims that its decision is a reflec- huge,” PSC tweeted. “The tide of history is turn-
tion of its deep concern for human rights. Curi- ing,” it proclaimed.
Upcoming ously, Ben & Jerry’s operates in Serbia, whose Because it feeds into the larger campaign to
president is increasingly repressive and where delegitimize and demonize Israel, Ben & Jerry’s
issues there have been allegations of torture by police, boycott should therefore be taken seriously and
restrictions on free expression and the press (in-
actively opposed, including by those of us who
Issue date Deadline cluding violence against journalists), and wide- disagree with Israeli settlement expansion in ter-
ritory that may become part of a future Palestin-
spread government corruption.
You can also find Cherry Garcia and other pop- ian state. Personally speaking, I will gladly forgo
Aug. 18 Aug. 12 ular Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors in the UAE, their ice cream knowing now it would only leave
which scored a 17 out of 100 in the independent a bad taste in my mouth.
watchdog Freedom House’s current ratings of
Sept. 1 Aug. 26 political and civil rights. (Israel, by comparison, Bob Horenstein is
scored a 76, the U.S., 83.) The company even the Director of Com-
Sept. 15 Sept. 9 operated in Malaysia (until forced to shut down munity Relations and
due to COVID-19), whose then-prime minister, Public Affairs for the
Sept. 30 Sept. 23 Mahathir Mohamad, repeatedly spewed vile Jewish Federation of
(Thursday) anti-Semitism and openly questioned the number Greater Portland.
of Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
Aside from this rank hypocrisy, the notion that
Submit news, photos there’s a clear distinction between a targeted boy-
cott of the settlements and the larger BDS move-
and obituaries to ment, whose goal is to purge the world of its
editor@jewishportland.org only Jewish state, is unfounded. Admittedly, it’s
8 Jewish Review Aug. 4, 2021