The company announced last July it would no longer sell its ice cream in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying it was "inconsistent with our values," although it said it would sell its products in Israel.
In this file July 20, 2021, photo, trucks are parked at the Ben & Jerry's ice-cream factory in the Be'er Tuvia Industrial area in Israel.
(Tsafrir Abayov / AP)
Ben & Jerry's has lost its bid to block its parent company Unilever from selling its ice cream in Israel occupied West Bank, which the US firm said would run counter to its values.
The company, known for its political activism, took the unusual step of seeking an injunction after London-based Unilever announced it had sold its interest in the ice cream to an Israeli license-holder.
However, a US federal judge ruled on Monday the ice cream company had "failed to demonstrate" that the move to sell the goods in the Israeli-occupied settlements caused it "irreparable harm."
In July last year, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's announced it would no longer sell its ice cream in occupied Palestine's territories, which Israel seized in 1967, saying it was "inconsistent with our values," although it said it would keep selling its products in Israel.
However, Israeli license-holder Avi Zinger had continued to produce the ice cream in his factory in the suburbs of Tel Aviv and distribute it to the Israeli settlements, going against the company's decision.
Hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in communities found illegal under international law.
READ MORE: Why Ben & Jerry's decision scares the fudge out of Israel's leaders
Why is Ben & Jerry's ending sales in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories? pic.twitter.com/cqvFfo9NPt
US court: Too speculative
On July 5, Ben & Jerry's asked that any agreement allowing distribution or sale of its products in the occupied West Bank be dissolved and that any further such transaction go before its board of directors to be given a green light.
Unilever's decision was "made without the consent of Ben & Jerry's Independent Board," and goes against the merger agreement that gave the board the ability to protect the founder's values and reputation, the complaint said.
However, US District Court Judge Andrew Carter Jr in Manhattan said the idea the company's messaging could be marred or customers could become confused about its core values was "too speculative."
Founded in the United States in 1978, Ben & Jerry's is known for championing progressive causes, including protecting the environment and promoting human rights, and has frequently released special ice cream flavours to support causes or in protest.
Contacted by AFP news agency on Monday, Ben & Jerry's declined to immediately comment on the decision.
Unilever did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
Source: AFP
Eighteen-year-old Waseem Khalifa was shot dead in Nablus city, medics say, adding occupying Israeli forces also wounded 30 Palestinians, three of whom critically.
Scouts gather around names carved in the sand of the children who were killed during the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza.
(AFP)
Israeli troops have killed a
Palestinian youth in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank city of Nablus and wounded dozens of others.
Palestinian medics identified the man who was killed early on Thursday as Waseem Khalifa, 18, from Balata, the largest refugee camp in the West Bank.
At least 30 Palestinians were wounded, four of whom were
shot with live ammunition and three of whom were in critical
condition, the Palestine Red Crescent said.
Witnesses said clashes erupted when Israeli forces arrived
to protect Jewish worshippers visiting Joseph's Tomb, a site
that has been a flashpoint.
The Israeli military told the Reuters news agency it was checking on the
incident.
Killings in Gaza
The fresh killing of a Palestinian comes after Israeli jets pounded the besieged Gaza enclave that saw Palestinian fighters responding with hundreds of rockets that wounded 70 Israelis.
At least 49 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, including civilians
and children, and hundreds more were wounded during 56 hours of
fighting.
Israeli forces have carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West
Bank in recent months.
Shooting on bus in flashpoint area leaves at least seven wounded, two of them critically, Israeli police say.
Old City of occupied Jerusalem is home to some of the holiest sites in Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
(AFP)
Seven people have been wounded, two of them critically, after a shooting attack on a bus in occupied Jerusalem's Old City, Israeli police and the national emergency medical services said.
"The police were informed of a shooting of a bus ... police have cordoned off the scene and are searching for a suspect who fled," police said early on Sunday.
Bus driver Daniel Kanievsky said the attack occurred near King David's Tomb.
"I was coming from the Western Wall. The bus was full of passengers. I stopped at the station of the Tomb of David. At this moment starts the shootings. Two people outside I see falling, two inside were bleeding. Everybody panicked," he told reporters at the scene.
Old City of occupied Jerusalem is home to some of the holiest sites in Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
Al Aqsa Mosque is one of the holiest sites for Muslims.
Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Since 2003, Israel has allowed illegal settlers into the compound almost daily.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognised by the international community.
Gaza fighting
Since March, 19 people –– mostly Israeli civilians –– have been killed in attacks.
Israeli authorities have increased raids in the occupied West Bank.
More than 50 Palestinians have been killed in such operations since then.
Last week saw three days of intense conflict between Israel and Palestinians in besieged Gaza.
At least 49 Palestinians, including many children, were killed in the Israeli aggression, which ended last Sunday after Egypt negotiated a truce.
Two Palestinians were killed and about 30 wounded as Israeli troops raided a house in the city of Nablus.
Israeli security forces have conducted frequent operations in the occupied West Bank in recent months.
(AFP)
Israel's forces have killed two Palestinians in the city of Nablus in occupied West Bank, Palestinian media has reported, two days after deadly Israeli air strikes on Gaza was halted by a truce.
At least 30 Palestinians were wounded as Israeli troops raided a house in Nablus on Tuesday, according to the Red Crescent.
"Israeli army and special forces are surrounding the house of a wanted man in Nablus. There is exchange of fire," the Israel's military said in a statement.
Gunfire was traded in the old city of Nablus, according to AFP news agency. Trouble also broke out in other parts of Nablus.
Israeli security forces have conducted frequent operations in occupied West Bank in recent months, focusing on operatives from the Islamic Jihad group.
On Friday, Israel launched what it called a "pre-emptive" aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in besieged Gaza, leading the armed group there to fire rockets in retaliation.
An Egypt-brokered ceasefire reached on Sunday ended three days of Israeli bombardment that killed 46 Palestinians, 16 of them children, and wounded 360, according to Gaza's health ministry.
