Unilever has sold off sold its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream business in Israel.
Consumertrics gathered Unilever’s activities in Israel and the West Bank has generated controversy, hence the company’s decision to sell the ice cream business to its distributor. The company Wednesday announced the sale to American Quality Products (AQP).
Under AQP ownership, Ben & Jerry’s will now be sold under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank.
The sale ends a long saga that had angered ice cream fans on every side of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Vermont-based ice cream company, which has been doing business in Israel since 1987, has come under scrutiny for its relationships in Israel in recent years as tensions in the region flared. Critics took the company to task for doing business in Israel — especially in West Bank settlements, considered illegal under international law — arguing it doesn’t align with Ben & Jerry’s liberal image.
