FLORIDA SILENT ON ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS
Florida stops investing in Ben & Jerry's parent companyThe decision comes after the ice-cream firm refused to backtrack on its decision not to sell its produced in illegal Israeli settlements located on occupied Palestinian land
Ben & Jerry's ice cream is stored in a cooler at an event in Washington,
US on 20 May 2021
[Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images]
October 29, 2021
The US state of Florida will cease new investments in London-based Unilever, Ben & Jerry's parent company, as a result of the ice-cream firm's decision to stop selling its products in illegal settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The move comes three months after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the State Board of Administration (SBA) to add Unilever to its list of "scrutinised companies" that boycott Israel.
During the 90-day period, no decisions were taken by the ice-cream giant to reverse its position on Israel.
"I have not seen any meaningful response from Unilever, period," Florida's SBA Executive Director, Ash Williams, said at a September cabinet meeting.
However, the ruling over new investments does not affect the $39 million Florida already has invested in Unilever, the Florida Politics website reported.
About 35 states in the US have anti-Israel boycott laws. Last month, Arizona became the first state to divest from the company over what it labelled an "anti-Semitic" move.
New Jersey followed suit, and Texas has already announced that it is taking steps to divest from Unilever following Ben & Jerry's decision.
Ben & Jerry's move followed a stream of reports by human rights groups and the UN, and articles by former Israeli ambassadors labelling Israel as an apartheid state. The ice-cream firm's founders, Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, explained that the company drew a line between what they called the "democratic territory of Israel and the territories Israel occupies", stressing that "the decision to halt sales outside Israel's democratic borders is not a boycott of Israel."
Ben & Jerry's to freeze ice-cream sales in West Bank settlements – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]
October 29, 2021
The US state of Florida will cease new investments in London-based Unilever, Ben & Jerry's parent company, as a result of the ice-cream firm's decision to stop selling its products in illegal settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The move comes three months after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the State Board of Administration (SBA) to add Unilever to its list of "scrutinised companies" that boycott Israel.
During the 90-day period, no decisions were taken by the ice-cream giant to reverse its position on Israel.
"I have not seen any meaningful response from Unilever, period," Florida's SBA Executive Director, Ash Williams, said at a September cabinet meeting.
However, the ruling over new investments does not affect the $39 million Florida already has invested in Unilever, the Florida Politics website reported.
About 35 states in the US have anti-Israel boycott laws. Last month, Arizona became the first state to divest from the company over what it labelled an "anti-Semitic" move.
New Jersey followed suit, and Texas has already announced that it is taking steps to divest from Unilever following Ben & Jerry's decision.
Ben & Jerry's move followed a stream of reports by human rights groups and the UN, and articles by former Israeli ambassadors labelling Israel as an apartheid state. The ice-cream firm's founders, Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, explained that the company drew a line between what they called the "democratic territory of Israel and the territories Israel occupies", stressing that "the decision to halt sales outside Israel's democratic borders is not a boycott of Israel."
Ben & Jerry's to freeze ice-cream sales in West Bank settlements – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]
Nike to end sales in Israeli shops
Israeli shops have been dealt a hammer blow by sports clothing manufacturer Nike
October 6, 2021
Israeli shops have been dealt a hammer blow by sports clothing manufacturer Nike. The mega-brand has announced that it will end the sale of its products in stores within the occupation state in a move welcomed by social media users as another victory for the international Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
"Following a comprehensive review performed by the company and considering the changing marketplace, it has been decided that the continuation of the business relationship between you and the company does no longer match the company's policy and goals," Nike is reported as saying in a letter sent to shops in Israel.
Nike's decision is expected to hit retailers hard. As one of the most popular sporting brands in the world, its products account for a large proportion of sales.
Nike has not indicated that the move was taken in support of BDS. The company has apparently made the decision in line with its global plan to reduce the number of stores it works with and channel business through its website. Nevertheless the move has triggered speculation online over its motives
The decision follows the decision by ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's to end sales in the occupied Palestinian territories. Founders Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, explained earlier this year why they believe that the company "is on the right side of history" by taking the decision to boycott business in the occupied West Bank. Amnesty International praised the decision, describing it as "a legitimate and necessary response, in line with its responsibility to respect international law and human rights."
Prior to Ben & Jerry's announcement, several high-profile reports concluded that Israel is practising apartheid. In April, the pre-eminent human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) joined a host of other prominent groups to declare that Israel is committing the crimes of apartheid and persecution.
Prior to HRW's report, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem branded Israel as an "apartheid" state that "promotes and perpetuates Jewish supremacy between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River." Echoing the UN's 2017 report which concluded that Israel was practising apartheid, B'Tselem dismissed the popular misconception that it is a democracy within the Green (1949 Armistice) Line.
In an article in June, two former Israeli ambassadors to South Africa also denounced Israel as an apartheid state by drawing parallels with the system of formal racial segregation in South Africa which ended in 1994. The message has also been embraced by American Jews, a quarter of whom believe that Israel is an apartheid state, according to a recent report, as do nearly two-thirds of American scholars and academics.
Note: This page was updated at 12.19pm BST on 10 October 2021 to further clarify that while BDS supporters are celebrating the move, Nike has not indicated that the move was taken in support of the BDS movement.
Israeli shops have been dealt a hammer blow by sports clothing manufacturer Nike
October 6, 2021
Israeli shops have been dealt a hammer blow by sports clothing manufacturer Nike. The mega-brand has announced that it will end the sale of its products in stores within the occupation state in a move welcomed by social media users as another victory for the international Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
"Following a comprehensive review performed by the company and considering the changing marketplace, it has been decided that the continuation of the business relationship between you and the company does no longer match the company's policy and goals," Nike is reported as saying in a letter sent to shops in Israel.
Nike's decision is expected to hit retailers hard. As one of the most popular sporting brands in the world, its products account for a large proportion of sales.
Nike has not indicated that the move was taken in support of BDS. The company has apparently made the decision in line with its global plan to reduce the number of stores it works with and channel business through its website. Nevertheless the move has triggered speculation online over its motives
The decision follows the decision by ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's to end sales in the occupied Palestinian territories. Founders Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, explained earlier this year why they believe that the company "is on the right side of history" by taking the decision to boycott business in the occupied West Bank. Amnesty International praised the decision, describing it as "a legitimate and necessary response, in line with its responsibility to respect international law and human rights."
Prior to Ben & Jerry's announcement, several high-profile reports concluded that Israel is practising apartheid. In April, the pre-eminent human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) joined a host of other prominent groups to declare that Israel is committing the crimes of apartheid and persecution.
Prior to HRW's report, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem branded Israel as an "apartheid" state that "promotes and perpetuates Jewish supremacy between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River." Echoing the UN's 2017 report which concluded that Israel was practising apartheid, B'Tselem dismissed the popular misconception that it is a democracy within the Green (1949 Armistice) Line.
In an article in June, two former Israeli ambassadors to South Africa also denounced Israel as an apartheid state by drawing parallels with the system of formal racial segregation in South Africa which ended in 1994. The message has also been embraced by American Jews, a quarter of whom believe that Israel is an apartheid state, according to a recent report, as do nearly two-thirds of American scholars and academics.
Note: This page was updated at 12.19pm BST on 10 October 2021 to further clarify that while BDS supporters are celebrating the move, Nike has not indicated that the move was taken in support of the BDS movement.
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