The announcement to stop selling the dairy goods in the West Bank provoked several protests from anti-BDS activists, including at Unilever's London HQ.
Today’s announcement also follows lawsuits against Unilever seeking to reverse the controversial move, and a number of US states had also divested from the company.
Speaking to the JC in the wake of the announcement, Avi Singer, CEO of Ben & Jerry's Israel said: “I’m very grateful to Unilever that we have managed to resolve this feud. I’m looking forward.
“For the last year, the [staff] went through the unknown. They didn’t know what the future was for them. So now, finally, after this has been resolved, everyone feels happy and safe and excited.”
Avi Zinger, CEO of Ben and Jerry's Israel (Photo: Eric Sultan)
He added: “This is the best way for all of us. All the employees here and the suppliers – we’re talking about hundreds of people – they are protected as far as their salary and their job, and the customers will continue to get the ice cream no matter where they live or who they are.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid welcomed the decision in a statement: "Antisemitism will not defeat us, not even when it comes to ice-cream. We will fight delegitimization and the BDS campaign in every arena, whether in the public square, in the economic sphere or in the moral realm.
“The Ben & Jerry's factory in Israel is a microcosm of the diversity of Israeli society. Today’s victory is a victory for all those who know that the struggle against BDS is, first and foremost, a struggle for partnership and dialogue, and against discrimination and hate."
“I’d also like to thank Unilever for the action they have taken to resolve this matter.”
Economy Minister Barbivai added: "Ben & Jerry’s ice cream will continue to be manufactured here and sold in every location, it will continue to contribute to the economy and its workforce. This is a victory for all Israelis, and a defeat for the boycotters."
Jonathan Turner, Chief Executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, said: "Unilever's decision follows mounting legal claims against the company and a serious fall in its share price, with leading investors criticising the Board for neglecting business fundamentals in favour of woke gestures.
"As Unilever has learned, boycotts are bad for business, as well as workers and consumers. The decision is good news for both Israelis and Palestinians."
Professor Eugene Kontorovich, Director of International Law at the Jerusalem-based Kohelet Policy Forum said: "This represents a huge win against those who think it's legitimate to discriminate against Jews, which is the fundamental ideology of the BDS movement. It is a victory for the anti-boycott laws across America. Unilever is yet another massive corporation that fell into the rhetorical traps of the Israel-boycott movement, only to pull back after much embarrassment and expense."
"Unilever's move is a public slap-down to the board of Ben & Jerry's, who have in essence had part of their brand taken out because they couldn't manage it responsibly, or non-discriminatorily. It would appear that Ben and Jerry licked-off more than they could chew. After Airbnb and Unilever, one would hope that companies will understand that it is just malpractice to boycott Israel."
In a press release, Unilever said that it "rejects completely and repudiates unequivocally any form of discrimination or intolerance", adding: "Antisemitism has no place in any society. We have never expressed any support for the BDS movement and have no intention of changing that position."
