This is presumed to mean West Bank settlements and Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.
But the Israeli franchise headed by CEO Avi Zinger has no interest in halting such sales and has spent years attempting to prevent the company’s Independent Board of Directors from taking such a step.
Purchasing Ben & Jerry’s in Israel helps Zinger, explained Shaked who made a special solidarity trip to his factory.
“It is not the Israeli Ben & Jerry’s that should be boycotted,” Shaked said adding that “to the contrary; you need to buy Ben & Jerry’s in Israel.”
Zinger has owned his franchise for 35 years, but now he is in danger of losing his business because the global Ben & Jerry’s, which originated in Vermont and is now owned by the British-based Unilever, plans to end his contract by the end of 2022.
“We will do whatever it takes to reverse the decision” during this next year-and-a-half, Shaked said.
Israeli is partnering in this effort with Jewish and Evangelical Christian organizations in the US and plans to work at the legal, consumer and diplomatic level, Shaked said.
“There laws against boycotts in the US and will ask to impose sanctions against Ben & Jerry’s in the US,” Shaked said.
The global Ben & Jerry’s “has chosen to lick terrorism and antisemitic organizations instead of being loyal to an Israeli franchisee who for many years has been an exemplary role model of what an Israeli manufacturer should be,” Shaked said.
“The boycott against Israel is a new form of terrorism,” said Herzog. He explained that this was a form of “economic terrorism ... that seeks to harm Israeli citizens and the Israeli economy.”
Herzog added that he had no doubt that all the former presidents and prime ministers of Israel would react sharply against BDS in all its forms.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan also spoke out against Ben & Jerry’s and wrote a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asking that he impose the state’s anti-boycott laws against the company.