DE4CC0DE-5FC3-4494-BCBF-4D50B00366B5
A-Brands

Unilever 'Fully Committed' To Israel, CEO Says

By Dayeeta Das
Share this article
Unilever 'Fully Committed' To Israel, CEO Says

Unilever's chief executive on Thursday said the company was "fully committed" to Israel, days after coming under Israeli pressure over a decision by its subsidiary Ben & Jerry's to end ice cream sales in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Ben & Jerry's ice cream brand took its decision after pressure from pro-Palestinian groups over its business in Israel and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, handled through a licensee partner since 1987.

Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.

'Fully Committed' To Business In Israel

"I think if there's one message I want to underscore ... it's that Unilever remains fully committed to our business in Israel," CEO Alan Jope told investors during an earnings call.

He said the group had invested 1 billion shekels ($306 million) in Israel over the past decade and was invested in its startup culture and social programmes.

ADVERTISEMENT

"This was a decision taken by Ben & Jerry's and its independent board ... and we always recognise the importance of that agreement," he said.

Social Justice Causes

Ben & Jerry's, which has built a reputation as a supporter of social justice causes, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ rights campaigns, was acquired by Unilever in 2000 in a deal allowing it to operate with more autonomy than other subsidiaries.

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett warned Unilever on Tuesday about "severe consequences" from Ben & Jerry’s decision, calling it an anti-Israel step.

The decision has led to a clash between Unilever and Ben & Jerry's independent board, whose chair says it was not consulted on the decision to stay in Israel under a "different arrangement."

News by Reuters, edited by ESM. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.

Get the week's top grocery retail news

The most important stories from European grocery retail direct to your inbox every Thursday

Processing your request...

Thanks! please check your email to confirm your subscription.

By signing up you are agreeing to our terms & conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.