Alexi McCammond of AXIOS asked a very interesting question to the co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s in regards to their boycott of areas in Israel. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have been very outspoken about their leftist political beliefs. They were adamantly anti-Trump during his presidency. More recently, Georgia passed laws to strengthen the voting system for all citizens of their state. Ben & Jerry’s lambasted said law as racist, “un-Democratic” and “un-American”.
The Ben & Jerry’s co-founders (both of whom are Jewish) took their political activism one step further by refusing to sell their ice cream in “occupied” Palestinian territory. This means that no Ben & Jerry’s is sold in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. To call this move a head-scratcher is an understatement. If the problem is with Israeli policy, why boycott the areas “occupied” by the Israelis and not Israel itself? But that was not the question Alexi McCammond asked the two gentlemen during the AXIOS interview.
Alexi McCammond referred to their past activism. Their posts on Twitter. Their LGBTQ+ friendly ice cream boxes. All of their recent branding as a company points to social activism. McCammond simply asked them why aren’t they boycotting Texas and Georgia the same way they are boycotting Gaza and West Bank?
After all, Ben & Jerry’s has a well-documented track record of vocally opposing the abortion laws in Texas and the voting laws in Georgia. How is that any different than the “Israeli occupation” of Gaza and West Bank? This question did not get much of an answer. The two gentlemen sat in their outdoor chairs stumped. It was like they ran up against a brick wall. Maybe expressing one’s viewpoint in person is much more difficult than hiring a PR firm to release political statements on Twitter.
SOURCES:
Ben & Jerry’s co-founders stumped on why ice cream brand singles out Israel, continues to serve red states | Fox News
Ben & Jerry’s slammed by Israeli PM, Netanyahu after announcing boycott of ‘Occupied Palestinian Territory’ | Fox Business
Axios on HBO: Ben and Jerry’s Founders on Sales in the Occupied Palestinian Territory | HBO – YouTube
An inconvenient truth: eco-warrior Al Gore’s bloated gas and electricity bills | World news | The Guardian
