Israeli lawmakers urge Ben & Jerry's to drop settlement ban

JERUSALEM (AP) — Three-quarters of the members of the Israeli parliament on Wednesday called on Ben & Jerry's to reverse its decision to stop selling ice cream in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem.

In a letter to the Vermont-based ice cream maker, the lawmakers said they were “standing together against the shameful actions” of the company.

They called the decision “immoral and regrettable,” claimed it would hurt hundreds of Jewish and Arab workers and violated an Israeli law banning boycotts of the settlements.

The letter was signed by 90 of the Knesset's 120 members spanning almost the entire political spectrum. Arab parties and some dovish lawmakers refused to sign.

Ben & Jerry's, known for its progressive politics, announced last week that it would no longer produce ice cream for Israeli settlements on occupied lands. It is is one of the strongest steps by a well-known company against Israel's settlements, which are widely seen by the international community as illegal.

Some 700,000 Israelis live in east Jerusalem and the West Bank — areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, claim both areas as parts of a future independent state.

Israel has annexed east Jerusalem and says it is part of its capital, but the annexation is not internationally recognized. It says the West Bank is disputed territory whose fate should be resolved in peace talks. The international community overwhelmingly considers both areas occupied territory.

Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry's, has said that there was little it could do to block the decision. Under a 2000 purchase agreement, Ben & Jerry's retained great autonomy over its social-justice policies.

Unilever says...