opinion
Ben & Jerry’s ‘Victory’
Is a Hollow One
BY NAOMI GRANT
J ewish organizations far and
wide, the state of Israel and even
American politicians have rejoiced
over Unilever’s decision to sell Ben &
Jerry’s to a local franchisee, thereby
resuming the sale of its ice cream in
the West Bank.

While it is nice to see a major
company standing up to BDS and
indirectly contributing to the Israeli
economy, this widely hailed “vic-
tory” against the BDS movement
and antisemitism comes with many
caveats. American Quality Products owner
Avi Zinger previously enjoyed exclu-
sive rights to Ben & Jerry’s in Israel
before his license was not renewed
due to his continuing to sell in the
West Bank. Following his win in
an Israeli federal court, Zinger will A view of the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream factory and corporate headquarters 
John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images via JTA.org
resume sales in all of Israel in perpe-
tuity in Hebrew and Arabic.

But not in English.

A lawsuit was also filed against
Unilever this month in the United
States alleging that it had “concealed
a boycott of Israel by its Ben &
Jerry’s ice-cream brand that shaved
billions off its stock market value,”
JNS reported.

Due to violations of state anti-boycott laws, a feel-good statement that doesn’t even directly
Refusing to sell ice cream in certain areas (limit-
Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York condemn antisemitism; rather, it condemns “any ing options for the Arabs whom the company pur-
and Texas had divested a combined $1 billion in form of discrimination or intolerance” and asserts ports to champion, no less) was not enough; Ben
pension-fund investments from Unilever.

that “antisemitism has no place in any society.”
& Jerry’s has now implemented an indoctrina-
However, Ben & Jerry’s founders said they still
The statement doesn’t even stand against BDS; tion system into new employee orientation. They
believe it is “inconsistent with Ben & Jerry’s val- it says, almost as a disclaimer: “We have never somehow found a way to politicize something like
ues for our ice cream to be sold in the Occupied expressed any support for the Boycott Divestment ice cream, previously among the least politicized,
Palestinian Territory,” which is completely missing Sanctions (BDS) movement and have no intention least controversial industries on Earth.

the point.

of changing that position,” instead of actually tak-
Jewish Insider reported on Ben & Jerry’s new
Jews have lived in Judea and Samaria (what ing a stand against BDS.

system of indoctrination on June 13; it seems
is today called the West Bank) for about 3,000
Perhaps the worst is yet to come: Ben & Jerry’s likely that Ben & Jerry’s knew Unilever was about
years; only in recent history — from 1948 to 1967 apparently now requires new employees to watch to sell brand rights in Israel, enabling the sale of
— were Jews prohibited from living there, which videos on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at least ice cream in the entirety of the country, and acted
was apparently long enough for antisemites to one of which features Human Rights Watch Israel- preemptively.

concoct a patently false narrative about the land Palestine Director Omar Shakir.

Now is no time to rejoice with ice cream, but
belonging to “Palestinian” Arabs.

Shakir was expelled from Israel and partici- rather to continue holding Ben & Jerry’s account-
In other words, Unilever is off the hook in the pated in a June 2021 conference that also hosted able — this time, for indoctrination. JE
eyes of Jewish organizations and Ben & Jerry’s participants from the likes of Hamas, Islamic
boycotters for any controversy because they sold Jihad, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Naomi Grant is the director of communications at
the Endowment for Middle East Truth.

Israeli rights to the Ben & Jerry’s brand and put out Liberation of Palestine.

While it is nice to see a major company standing up to BDS
... this widely hailed “victory” against the BDS movement
and antisemitism comes with many caveats.

16 JULY 7, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



‘This Is
Spiritual Work’
feature story
RELIGIOUS LEADERS LAY BLUEPRINT
FOR REPARATIONS
SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER
W hen the Israelites fl ed Egypt, they were demanded by God to
take reparations, Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein argues.

Aft er generations of enslavement in Mitzrayim, before their
long trek to the land of milk and honey, the Israelites were instructed to
take back gold and their wealth; the Torah states, “Aft erward shall they
come out with signifi cant property.”
To Bernstein, the story of God demanding that Israelites take back
wealth from the ancient Egyptians is a central part of the story of Exodus.

Th ough a midrash from centuries ago, Jewish conversations about rep-
arations — compensation for past harm, loss or damages — have bubbled
to the surface in the modern-day reckoning many predominantly white
institutions and individuals are having about racism in the United States.

For the Jewish leaders in Philadelphia that are starting conversations
about reparations in their communities, beginning the process of giving
reparations to Black Americans is urgent.

“My people are dying; my community [of Jews of color in Philadelphia]
is struggling,” said Jared Jackson, founder and executive director of Jews of
color advocacy organization Jews In ALL Hues. “So while you’re waiting to
feel benevolent, our lives are diminished until you feel the need to say what-
ever words you need to say to yourself and others to get the ball rolling.”
On Juneteenth, Jackson, as well as Reconstructing Judaism’s Director of
the Center for Jewish Ethics Rabbi Mira Wasserman represented the Jewish
community at the Mayor’s Commission for Faith-based and Interfaith
Aff airs, in partnership with POWER Interfaith, the Truth Telling Project
and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.

Jewish, Christian and Muslin faith leaders met as a call to action for reli-
gious groups to give reparations to Black descendants of enslaved people.

Religious spaces off er the opportunity to talk about the underlying values
that drive the practice of reparations.

“You don’t have faith traditions without people,” Jackson said.

In Philadelphia, there’s a push among reparations proponents to resolve
tangled titles — which makes home ownership unclear by not guarantee-
ing the deed to one’s home is passed down to their intended heir if they do
not have a will — an issue by which Black and brown Philadelphians are
disproportionately aff ected, Jackson said.

Reparations can take the form of funding legal aid for those looking to
protect their home ownership.

But persistent racism can be identifi ed even within Jewish spaces,
Jackson said. He uses the example of Jews In ALL Hues to show the past
complacency of the predominantly white Jewish community to address
monetary inequity.

Jews In ALL Hues relies on private donors and grant money to continue
business, Jackson outlined. Th ough Jackson calls the nonprofi t the oldest
Jared Jackson is the founder and executive of Jews In ALL Hues.

Courtesy of Jared Jackson
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 17