Ben & Jerry’s, an ice cream company, has decided to add its two cents to the debate raging over what Israel should do in Gaza and called for a ceasefire. This is because, as everyone knows, companies that make ice cream are known for their expertise on matters of international relations and war.
Anuradha Mittal, who leads the corporate board of Ben & Jerry’s corporate board issued a statement on its behalf saying, “Promoting peace has been an integral part of Ben & Jerry’s DNA for four decades,” and, “Today, Ben & Jerry’s Board stands steadfast with that principle by calling for peace and a permanent and immediate ceasefire.”
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Mittal runs the left-leaning think tank the Oakland Institute.
She also told the Financial Times, “It is stunning that millions are marching around the world but the corporate world has been silent.”
“From Iraq to Ukraine [the company] has consistently stood up for these principles. Today is no different as we call for peace and a permanent and immediate ceasefire,” said Mittal.
“Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of supporting peace and peace building,” said a spokesperson adding that Mittal’s comments did reflect the opinion of its board of directors.
Even before the war in Gaza, Ben & Jerry’s condemned Israel and joined the boycott movement against it. The company decided not to renew the local licensing agreement with Avi Zinger’s American Quality Products for marketing its ice cream in Israel.
But a backlash to the move caused Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever to make a special deal and sold its Ben & Jerry’s business interests in Israel to Avi Zinger. But the agreement also stipulated that Ben & Jerry’s will only be sold in Israel under its Hebrew and Arabic names.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Vermont in 1978. The duo said that their mission was to “advance human rights and dignity.” And, for the record, the two men, while no longer its owners, backed Ben & Jerry’s move to boycott Israel.
So, Israel can forget about the Hamas massacre of October 7 2023 in which more than 1,200 innocent people were murdered, many of whom were burned alive in their homes and even burned alive including babies. Ben & Jerry’s has spoken.
