{"id":341240,"date":"2021-09-17T19:35:07","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T16:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/nj-yanks-unilever-investments-over-ben-jerrys-israel-flap\/"},"modified":"2021-09-17T19:35:07","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T16:35:07","slug":"nj-yanks-unilever-investments-over-ben-jerrys-israel-flap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/nj-yanks-unilever-investments-over-ben-jerrys-israel-flap\/","title":{"rendered":"#NJ yanks Unilever investments over Ben &#038; Jerry&#8217;s Israel flap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#NJ yanks Unilever investments over Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s Israel flap<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>New Jersey is yanking its investments out of Unilever over Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s decision this summer to pull out of the occupied territories in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>The state\u2019s treasury department, which has $182 million invested in Unilever stock, bonds and other securities, fired off a letter to Unilever\u2019s chief executive, Alan Jope, informing him of a 2016 law that prevents New Jersey from investing its pension funds in businesses that engage in boycotts of Israel, according to a copy of the letter which The Post obtained.<\/p>\n<p>The Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s move was determined to be an action that fell afoul of that law.<\/p>\n<p>The divestment will be finalized within 90 days unless Unilever <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eals the decision, according to the letter by the state\u2019s acting director of the treasury, Shoaib Khan.<\/p>\n<p>Unilever, which owns the popular ice cream company that announced plans to stop selling its products in the occupied territories, has been taking heat from a number of government officials \u2014 including Israel\u2019s prime minister, Naftali Bennett \u2014 over the controversial decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bennett said the boycott would have \u201csevere consequences.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In an August letter to New Jersey, Jope said: \u201cThis is a complex matter because since we acquired Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s in 2000, as part of the acquisition agreement, we have always recognized the right of the brand and its independent Board to take decisions in accordance with its <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> mission. On this decision, it was no different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said Unilever rejected anti-Semitism and had never expressed support for any so-called BDS movement, which stands for boycott, divest and sanctions and is a pro-Palestinian strategy to get companies and others to take stands against Israel. The Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s move was seen as part of this.<\/p>\n<p>The company didn\u2019t respond to a request for a comment from The Post, except to send the August letter from Jope.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-48-car.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"A car outside a Ben &amp; Jerry's ice cream plant in Israel.\" class=\"wp-image-19488470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-48-car.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-48-car.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-48-car.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>New Jersey joined the growing number of states to take a stand against Unilever.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Last week, Arizona announced that it would divest its $143 million investment in Unilever as a result of a law that states \u201cpublic state entities may not invest moneys with an entity that boycotts Israel.\u201d The pension fund has $92.7 billion in assets, according to Pensions &amp; Investments.<\/p>\n<p>US Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) called on the Department of Commerce to launch an investigation into Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s, arguing that the boycott of the West Bank may violate the Export Administration Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other states, including New York and Illinois, have warned Unilever that they are reconsidering divesting their pension funds from the company \u2014 and this summer the mayor of Englewood Cliffs, NJ, where Unilever is headquartered, wrote a letter urging the company to reconsider its decision.<\/p>\n<p>In July, Thomas DiNapoli, New York\u2019s state comptroller, wrote a letter to Jope giving him 90 days to justify the company\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-49-protestors.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"A group of protestors waving the Israeli flag outside a Ben &amp; Jerry's store.\" class=\"wp-image-19488503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-49-protestors.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-49-protestors.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-49-protestors.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The chorus of critics and protesters against Unilever and Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s has grown louder.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Pacific Press\/LightRocket via Ge<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-46-unilever-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Unilever's corporate symbol, U.\" class=\"wp-image-19488556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-46-unilever-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-46-unilever-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-46-unilever-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Unilever has tried to placate critics while also defending Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Gett<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Scores of other prominent individuals and groups have also threatened Unilever, including a legal group in Israel, which is trying to coopt the Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s trademark in the Palestinian territories on the grounds that it \u201cabandoned\u201d its intellectual property there.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s employees here and in Israel have also quit their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Unilever, which bought Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s in 2000, has been walking a tightrope, trying to appease its critics while defending its subsidiary\u2019s right to make decisions according to its social mission.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-47-upside-down-cartons.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"A worker places cartons of Ben &amp; Jerry's ice cream upside down.\" class=\"wp-image-19488600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-47-upside-down-cartons.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-47-upside-down-cartons.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-47-upside-down-cartons.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Some Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s workers have quit over its controversial decision to pull out of the Palestinian territories.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/09\/17\/nj-yanks-unilever-investments-over-ben-jerrys-israel-flap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#NJ yanks Unilever investments over Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s Israel flap&#8221; New Jersey is yanking its investments out of Unilever over Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s decision this summer to pull out of the occupied territories in Israel. The state\u2019s treasury department, which has $182 million invested in Unilever stock, bonds and other securities, fired off a letter&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":341241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/ben-jerrys-50-feature.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[116093,26805,83036,2184,82527],"class_list":["post-341240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-9-17-21","tag-ben-jerrys","tag-boycott","tag-israel","tag-unilever"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=341240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/341241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=341240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=341240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=341240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}