The U.S. District Court rejected this evening (Monday) Ben & Jerry’s request to issue a restraining order to Unilever that would oblige the company to stop selling the brand’s ice creams beyond the green line and stated that the ice cream maker “failed to prove that it will suffer irreparable damage if the new arrangement The judge added and stated that Ben & Jerry’s claim that the sale of the products will lead to the transmission of a message contrary to the company’s “values” is “speculative”.
Ben & Jerry’s is a subsidiary of the global food corporation Unilever. Unilever purchased the ice cream maker in 2000 and in Israel the ice cream is produced by an Israeli franchisee from a factory near Kiryat Malachi. Ben & Jerry’s claimed that in the original purchase agreement, Unilever committed to maintain the company’s “core values” and that the sale of its products beyond the green line constitutes a violation of the agreement. Unilever argued that Ben & Jerry’s had no authority to sue them as the parent company.
Photo: shutterstock
Following pressure from all over the world, Unilever allowed the Israeli manufacturer to operate as an independent franchisee
As you may recall, last July, Ben & Jerry’s decided to stop selling their ice creams beyond the borders of the Green Line, as a protest against the “Wall Guard” operation and the Israeli government’s policy. The decision to impose a boycott on Judea and Samaria drew a lot of criticism towards the ice cream manufacturer and parent company Unilever, and following pressure from economic factors in Israel and the US, Unilever decided to allow the brand’s Israeli franchisee, Avi Singer, to operate as an independent franchisee and continue manufacturing and marketing throughout the country, even beyond the Green Line.
Following the agreement between Unilever and Avi Singer, Ben & Jerry’s decided to sue Unilever and thus prevent the continued marketing and sale of the ice creams in Judea and Samaria, however, as mentioned, the US court rejected their request today.