That decision by Ben & Jerry’s led to intense criticism in Israel, with the nation’s ambassador to the United States, Gilad Erdan, going so far as to accuse the company of being antisemitic. The founders of Ben & Jerry’s, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, said in an essay in The New York Times that, “As Jewish supporters of the State of Israel, we fundamentally reject the notion that it is anti-Semitic to question the policies of the State of Israel.”The founders said that they had expected a “swift and powerful” reaction. Last week, the state of Arizona announced that it would pull its $143 million in public funds out of Unilever. Several other states, including New York and Illinois, have warned Unilever that they are considering divestment. In late July, Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York’s state comptroller, sent a letter to Unilever’s chief executive, Alan Jope, saying that he was “troubled and concerned” by reports of Ben & Jerry’s actions.

Source: New York Times September 16, 2021 18:50 UTC