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Anne, frankly Iconic diarist is animated for a new generation P23

She’s losing her religion A Charedi view of My Unorthodox Life P19

VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY 22 July 2021

13 Av 5781

Issue No.1220

@JewishNewsUK

Gold standard Jewish Olympians set to be big in Japan, p14 & 15

It’s a cold war Kosher shops boycott Ben & Jerry’s ice cream by James Konn @Konnj

British kosher retailers are freezing out Ben & Jerry’s ice cream after the American food giant decided to stop selling its products in the West Bank. The Vermont-based firm issued a statement this week that it would cease retailing in Israeli settlements in “Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)”, but it would remain in Israel – albeit “through a different arrangement”. Hendon retailer Tapuach has said the store is “considering” its position on the matter, while Kosher City in Manchester is going a step further, announcing it intends to return any freezers on its premises branded with the ice cream maker’s logo. Its manager Menachem Leitner said: “The freezers are being collected as soon as possible. It is very wrong what they [Ben & Jerry’s] is doing.” In a full statement published on Monday, Ben & Jerry’s said: “We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

We also hear and recognise the concerns shared their demand to stop distribution in Israel. We urge the Israeli government and consumers — with us by our fans and trusted partners. “We have a longstanding partnership with don’t let them boycott Israel. Keep ice cream our licencee, who manufactures Ben & Jerry’s out of politics.” ice cream in Israel and distributes it in the Ben & Jerry’s West Bank boycott was region. condemned by Israeli Foreign Min“We have been working to ister Yair Lapid who called it change this, and so we have a “disgraceful capitulation”, while Prime Minister Naftali informed our licencee that Bennett described the brand we will not renew the licence as “anti-Israel ice cream”. agreement when it expires at Lapid added: “This decithe end of next year. Although Ben & Jerry’s sion is an endorsement of will no longer be sold in the BDS, to all that is evil in the OPT, we will stay in Israel anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish through a different arrangediscourse. ment. We will share an update “We won’t be silent. Over 30 on this as soon as we’re ready.” states in the United States have Ben & Jerry’s Israel distribpassed anti-BDS legislation in utor condemned the decision, recent years. I plan on asking calling it “entirely unacceptable”. each of them to enforce these It added: “Ben & Jerry’s interlaws against Ben & Jerry’s. So they national decided not to renew their won’t treat us in such ways.” agreement with us in a year Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanand a half after we refused Unilever: frosty reception

while, tweeted: “Now we Israelis know which ice cream NOT to buy.” Kosher supermarkets in America said they will also boycott the brand while in Australia the kashrut authority KA has delisted the ice cream, which operates globally as a fully owned subsidiary of Unilever. Glatt Express Supermarket in New Jersey and Aron’s Kissena Farms in New York are among the leading kosher companies to drop the brand in the United States. “We will no longer sell any Ben & Jerry products, effective immediately,” Glatt Express Supermarket said. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, childhood friends from New York, opened their first ice cream scoop shop in a renovated fuel station in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978. Ben & Jerry’s owners are both Jewish and have long sided with so-called progressive causes in the US. In 2018 they received criticism for promoting an event called The Women’s March and Linda Sarsour – a Women’s March board member – who is also a BDS supporter who once tweeted “Nothing is creepier than Zionism.” � Analysis, p5; editorial comment, p16


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