North Hempstead Slams BDS Movement Amid Ben & Jerry's Backlash

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Ben & Jerry's has decided to stop selling its ice cream in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories — and it's left a bad taste in North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth's mouth.

In a statement released Thursday, Bosworth reiterated the Town's commitment to combat intolerance and condemned companies that "(participate) in the BDS movement, such as Ben & Jerry's."

"North Hempstead is a community of unity and inclusion," Bosworth said. "We remain committed in the fight against intolerance, and we are unwavering in our condemnation of this BDS movement."

Inspired by South African anti-apartheid protests, the BDS movement aims to economically and politically pressure Israel to change its policies toward Palestinians. It embraced Ben & Jerry's decision to end sales in the West Bank and East Jerusalem next year.

The Vermont-based ice cream maker — known for its left-leaning stances on issues — said sales in these territories were inconsistent with its values. As a result, the company decided not to renew its license agreement in Israel when it expires in late 2022.

Many supporters of the BDS movement say they are focused on championing the rights of the Palestinian people. But opponents routinely call them anti-Semitic.

A number of municipalities in the U.S., including North Hempstead, have passed anti-BDS legislation. The one passed by the Town Board in 2017 prohibits the government from working with companies that refuse to do business with Israel.

The Town of Oyster Bay also adopted similar legislation that year.

"We refuse to give any business to Ben & Jerry's or its parent company, Unilever," Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said Thursday. "Hatred, bias, or intolerance of any kind have no place in our Town, our state, or our great nation, and we will never tolerate any form of anti-Semitism."

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran also issued a statement on Thursday, saying she was "disappointed by Ben & Jerry's decision to align itself with the anti-Israel BDS movement, which unfairly and dangerously singles out the world's only Jewish State."