Unilever boss tells Ben & Jerry’s to stay out of geopolitics after Israel flap

The CEO of Ben & Jerry’s corporate parent wants the Vermont-based ice cream maker to avoid “straying into geopolitics” after it was embroiled in a controversy triggered by its refusal to sell its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

“There is plenty for Ben & Jerry’s to get their teeth into on their social justice mission without straying into geopolitics,” Unilever CEO Alan Jope told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

“I’m sure the brand will continue to enjoy a very bright future doing just that.”

Jope said that brands should instead focus on issues where they have an established track record. The Unilever boss said Ben & Jerry’s should shift its energies to climate change and social justice issues.

The Post has reached out to Ben & Jerry’s seeking comment.

Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against Unilever earlier this month after the parent company sold its Israel division to a local franchisee — contravening the ice cream maker’s ban on doing business in Israeli settlements.

The franchisee, Avi Zinger, will resume selling the ice cream under the Ben & Jerry’s brand in territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.

Despite the lawsuit, Jope said that Unilever has no plans to sell off Ben & Jerry’s.

“The long-term future of Ben & Jerry’s is squarely part of Unilever,” Jope told the Journal.

Last year, Ben & Jerry’s ignited controversy when it announced that it would halt the sale of its ice cream in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where Palestinians hope to establish an independent state.

The decision was denounced by supporters of Israel as anti-Semitic and state governments in the US applied financial pressure on Unilever by pulling tens of millions of dollars in equity investments from pension funds.

Ben & Jerry’s wants a federal judge in Manhattan to issue a preliminary injunction to block the sale of the brand to Zinger.

The company and its corporate parent then agreed to a two-week mediation period to see if the two sides can strike a deal to avoid litigation.

If no agreement is reached by Thursday, Ben & Jerry’s will continue seeking an injunction.