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Ben and Jerry have been doing business in Israel since 1987, but in recent years they have come under pressure to sell in illegal West Bank settlements under international law. A.D. In July 2021, it announced that it had stopped selling at West Bank altogether.
That sparked a dispute with Israel’s longest-serving U.S. AQP distributor (AQP).
Unilever, one of the world’s largest retailers, including Dove Soap and Magnum Ice Cream, last week announced the sale of Ben and Jerry’s Israeli business to AQP.
In the future, the giant retailer Ben and Jerry will sell in all of Israel and the West Bank in Hebrew and Arabic.
But the decision to sell to AQP surprised Ben & Jerry Board, and according to the lawsuit, the court said it was “shocked” by the news.
Since 2021, Ben and Jerry have strongly opposed the sale of their products at West Bank, saying they are “incompatible with the brand.”
In a complaint on Tuesday, he said the brand’s values would be monitored by an independent board of directors in accordance with an agreement reached with Universal in 2000.
The board decided to take legal action at a meeting last week in which five directors voted to sue, and two of Universal’s nominees did not oppose it, Ben & Jerry said.
But the parent company reiterated that “it has the primary responsibility for financial and practical decisions and therefore has the right to participate in this event.”
In a new statement on Wednesday, a Universal spokesman reiterated his “right to participate in this event.”
“The deal has already been closed,” he said, adding that he would not comment on pending issues.
In a statement last week, Unilever said it had “reviewed the business for several months, including the Israeli government.”
“Unilever took the opportunity last year to listen to views on this complex and mysterious issue and believes that this is the best outcome for Ben and Jerry in Israel,” he added.
– Jordan Valinsky contributed to this report.
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