EXCLUSIVE: Palestinian human rights advocate Bassem Eid files a complaint against Unilever over Ben and Jerry's boycott of Israel

Bassem Eid, the former B'Tselem researcher who has been working tirelessly for Palestinian human rights without the antisemitism, has filed a complaint against Unilever in New York State for its Ben and Jerry's subsidiary illegally boycotting Israel.

Interestingly, he is saying that the boycott affect Palestinians such as himself who like to shop in "settlement" supermarkets and will not be able to get the ice cream!

Attorney David Abrams has provided me with a copy of the complaint.

Excerpts:

I. Background

1. This charge arises from an announcement dated July 19th, 2021, by Ben and

Jerry's of a boycott directed at the area claimed as the "Occupied Palestinian Territory"

("OPT") and subsequent announcement of the Ben and Jerry’s Board of Directors of an

intention to boycott the entire State of Israel. As set forth in more detail below, this

charge alleges that the Respondent Conopco, Inc., ("Respondent"), owner of Ben and

Jerry’s, has aided and abetted an unlawful discriminatory boycott in violation of the Lisa

Law which is now part of the New York State Human Rights Law.

II. The Charging Party

2. I am a Palestinian Arab human rights activist. I was born in Jerusalem and reside

in Jericho.3. I have dedicated my life advocating for peace and reconciliation between Israelis

and Palestinians. In doing so, I firmly reject the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

movement, otherwise known as ‘BDS’. I believe BDS is counterproductive to peace and

creates only more hatred, enmity and polarization, as evidenced by the Respondent’s

actions in this matter. Moreover, whereas the BDS movement’s spokespeople and

supporters live in comfortable circumstances abroad, such boycotts as this will only result

in increased economic hardships for actual Palestinians, such as myself.

If so-called pro-Palestinian activists truly want to help the Palestinians’ cause,

then they should demand Palestinian leadership respect basic freedom, human rights and

democracy for the Palestinian people, while assisting Israel in creating more jobs

employing Palestinian people and initiating programs that bring the sides together, not

create barriers, walls and only more hate.

IV. Respondent's BDS Activity

9. On 19 July 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced their intention to end sales of their

ice-cream in the ‘Occupied Palestinian Territory’ and inform their Israeli licensee, who

distributes in the region, that they will not renew the license agreement when it expires at

the end of next year. On the same day, in a separate announcement, the Respondent

announced its support of Ben & Jerry’s decision, effectively endorsing the company’s

boycott.

10. Although the Respondent insisted in its announcement that it remained fully

committed to its “presence in Israel”, upon information and belief its Israeli distributor

has refused to participate in its boycott activity, which would, inter alia, also be in

violation of Israel’s ‘Law Prohibiting Discrimination’ in the provision of goods and

services based on place of residence.

As it is highly unlikely that the Respondent will find an Israeli distributor to be a

willing accomplice to such illegal and discriminatory BDS activity, the practical effect of

the announcement is a decision to boycott the entire State of Israel. Therefore, regardless

of where one draws the lines of Israel's borders, the boycott will also to apply to me, as a

resident of Jericho, in the purported ‘OPT’.

11. Moreover, although Ben & Jerry's nominally announced that it intended to

continue to do business in Israel, upon information and belief a senior official at Ben &

Jerry's, Anuradha Mittal, vehemently objected to this qualification. Upon information

and belief, the same individual, in her capacity as Chairperson of the Ben & Jerry’s

Board of Directors, has publicly expressed support for a boycott of all of Israel and was

the primary proponent and initial decision-maker behind the boycott activity described

herein.

12. In other words, the circumstances of the Ben & Jerry’s announcement indicate

that the company’s boycott is intended to engage in an unlawful discriminatory boycott,

and the rhetoric about "illegal occupation" is simply a fig leaf for the discriminatory

activity.

V. Effect on Palestinians

13. Regardless of the intent of the law, the effect is discrimination and boycott on

Palestinian Arabs such as myself, who reside in the so-called ‘OPT’ and would therefore

be denied ability to purchase Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream.

For example, I, as a Palestinian, as well as many of my friends, family and other

Palestinians, are regular shoppers at the Gush Etzion commercial center, which is located

in Area C, and where we also frequent to eat ice-cream. This shopping area is the true

realization of coexistence, as both Jews and Muslims from both Israel and the Palestinian

controlled territories, including areas A and B, work and shop there. Israeli Jews and

Arabs also travel from Jerusalem to enjoy what this center has to offer. Gush Etzion is

not the only mixed-commercial area in which such a positive dynamic occurs, and they

are all targeted by the BDS movement, trying to push us apart instead of fostering and

promoting such people-to-people togetherness, friendship, cooperation and peace. The

BDS's movement has had tremendous negative affect on me and other Palestinians, some

of whom have lost their place of employment and access to goods and services.

14. In any event, I have been invited to an event in the claimed ‘OPT’, scheduled to

take place in January 2023 at which ice cream is expected to be served. Accordingly, I

am an aggrieved party in respect of the Respondent's activities since my host (and

therefore me) will not have access to Respondent's ice cream.

This should be interesting!

---

---