Ben & Jerry to resume sale in Israel's West Bank amid escalating controversy; Details here

A year after Ben & Jerry suspended ice cream sales in Israel's West Bank, its parent firm Unilever announced that it has sold off its business to Israeli licensee Avi Zinger last Wednesday. The ice cream manufacturer's move comes expectedly to dissociate itself from the escalating conflict over its sale of the product in the Israel-occupied Palestinian West Bank region. The brand sparked controversy around this time last year after it suspended marketing products in West Bank, saying that it was "inconsistent" with company values.

The amount at which Unilever Ltd. reached a deal with Zinger has not been disclosed as of yet. According to Unilever's spokesperson, as quoted by The Guardian, the product will be rebranded but the packaging with being similar to as has always been. The British conglomerate will also not be a part of the revenue or licensing income from the sale of the products.

Why did Ben & Jerry suspend sales in West Bank?

The independent board of Ben & Jerry's decided to withdraw the sale of its products from West Bank last year. It was met with widespread criticism from the Israeli government with Israeli President Isaac Herzog calling the boycott a "new sort of terrorism... economic terrorism," The Guardian reported. Then Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid also called the move a "shameful capitulation to anti-Semitism." Israeli PM Naftali Bennett condemned the decision as "morally wrong" and urged the US to launch a review of Ben & Jerry's decision.

Following the bitter fallout, Unilever Ltd, which acquired Ben & Jerry in 2000 decided to dig deep into the controversy until they reached a concrete resolution- which was announced last week.

Ben & Jerry to resume ice cream sales in West Bank

Although Unilever allowed Ben & Jerry's board to take independent steps over social issues, as per the agreement, Unilever is responsible for financial and operational calls. Following almost a year-long probe, Unilever decided to strike a deal with Zinger. Now, Avi Zinger is the owner of Ben & Jerry's license for the Israel region.

The Guardian reported that while the core product will remain the same including the packaging, the writing in the containers will be changed to Hebrew and Arabic, instead of English. “Unilever has used the opportunity of the past year to listen to perspectives on this complex and sensitive matter and believes this is the best outcome for Ben & Jerry’s in Israel. The review included extensive consultation over several months, including with the Israeli government,” a statement by British fast-moving consumer goods company, Unilever said.

The decision was welcomed by Tel Aviv. Foreign Ministry. The spokesperson for the department, Lior Hayat said it is a "huge victory for Israel," as reported by the New York Times. Hayat added that the decision "sends a clear message that there is no room for discrimination against Israel." However, the subsidiary board of Ben & Jerry expressed dissatisfaction against Unilever's decision, demanding its products be sold only in Palestine-occupied regions.

(Image: @Ben&Jerry/Twitter)