Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlor
Ben & Jerry's ice cream parloriStock

Ben & Jerry’s on Thursday posted a statement to Twitter in which it condemned the backlash it has received since announcing it would no longer be selling its ice cream products in Judea and Samaria.

“Ben & Jerry's condemns the hateful and violent threats that have been directed at our company, our business partners, our Board, and particularly our Board Chair. We stand together—Ben & Jerry’s and our Board—in denouncing hate, intimidation, and threats of violence in any form,” the company wrote.

“We will continue to be guided by our values and commitment to human rights and justice,” it added.

Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, caused an uproar with its controversial July 19 announcement that it will stop selling the ice cream in Judea and Samaria.

Eight states have since announced they will be taking action against Ben & Jerry’s, including Texas, Illinois, Maryland, Florida, Arizona and Rhode Island.

Last week, the mayor of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, the location of the North American headquarters of Unilever, called on the company to reverse its decision to boycott Judea and Samaria.

In a letter addressed to Unilever CEO Alan Jope, Mayor Mario M. Kranjac urged Unilever to “reconsider” Ben & Jerry’s decision, expressing his “deep concern” with the move. He called it not only “disturbing, but… also a violation of New Jersey’s anti-BDS laws.”

In addition, a number of supermarket chains have announced that they will no longer stock Ben & Jerry's products following the controversial decision. They include Glatt Express Supermarket, Seasons, Morton Williams Supermarkets, Gristede’s Supermarkets, and others.

The company’s founders, Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, said in a New York Times opinion piece that they no longer control the company but approve of the move to stop selling the ice cream in Judea and Samaria.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)