Mayor of town where Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever is headquartered blasts ice cream firm's 'virtue signaling' pro-Palestine stance and questions why it still sells to other countries with appalling human rights records

The mayor of a town in New Jersey where Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever is headquartered has blasted the ice cream firm for its vow to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank to boycott Israeli settlements. 

Ben & Jerry's has been embroiled in an ongoing saga of boycotts and criticism after the company released a statement on July 19 that selling ice cream in 'Occupied Palestinian Territory' was 'inconsistent with our values.' 

British consumer goods conglomerate Unilever, which has its U.S. headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, was sent a letter about the ice cream maker's decision on Monday by Mayor Mario M. Kranjac, obtained by DailyMail.com.

'Not only is this move disturbing, but it is also a violation of New Jersey's anti-BDS laws,' Kranjac wrote in the Monday letter.

He added: 'I strongly encourage you to reevaluate your company's position and to treat everyone fairly without the virtue signaling that ultimately creates unfair treatment.'

The mayor wrote that Englewood Cliffs remains 'grateful' for Unilever making its headquarters in the community, he called Ben & Jerry's actions 'discrimination' and said the company has 'gone too far.'

Mayor Mario M. Kranjac, the town's mayor pictured, sent a letter to Unilever on Monday about Ben & Jerry's  decision to stop ice cream sales in the West Bank

'Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated,' Kranjac wrote. 'Englewood Cliffs is a wonderful place to work and live, and we welcome all lawful businesses big and small, and all residents.' 

Kranjac called Israel 'one of the most democratic and free countries in the world.' 

'It is a beacon of freedom in the Middle East, and one of America's greatest allies,' the mayor said. 

'It concerns me that your company is so quick to chastise Israel, while continuing to support and profit from other countries and movements that daily commit substantial human rights violations, genocide, unlawful imprisonment, forced 're-education', and race-based classifications.'

He added that Englewood Cliffs 'stands with Israel' and 'will not remain silent.'

'In fact, we will stand with anyone that is wrongly targeted. I strongly encourage you to reconsider your decision on this matter and to add vitality to all lives,' the mayor wrote, while referencing the company's corporate mission.

Kranjac called Ben & Jerry's decision 'virtue signaling' and questioned why it still sells ice cream to other countries with appalling human rights records.

Ben & Jerrys stills sells ice cream in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria, whose governments have all been condemned for appalling human rights abuses.  

A spokesperson for the mayor further described the letter to DailyMail.com as 'threatening legal recourse' against Unilever and said that town officials would be introducing a resolution regarding the company on Wednesday evening. 

Ben & Jerry's is owned by British consumer goods conglomerate Unilever, which has its U.S. headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, pictured

Ben & Jerry's has been embroiled in an ongoing saga of boycotts and criticism after the company released a statement on July 19 that selling ice cream in 'Occupied Palestinian Territory' was 'inconsistent with our values'

It was not immediately clear what legal action the town could take against the company. DailyMail.com has reached out to Unilever for more information and additional comment. 

Unilever CEO Alan Jope sent a reply to Kranjac on Tuesday, which was obtained by DailyMail.com.

'I recognize that Ben & Jerry's statement was met with concern and disappointment so I also wanted to take the opportunity to explain the matter further,' Jope wrote in his response.

Jope said that the company has had a 'strong and longstanding commitment' to its business in Israel - where it employs nearly 2,000 people in the country across four factories and a head office.

The mayor of Englewood Cliffs, were Unilever is based in the United States, sent a letter to the company on Monday, obtained by DailyMail.com

Unilever CEO Alan Jope sent a reply to Kranjac on Tuesday, which was obtained by DailyMail.com 

A worker handles tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream at a factory in Beer Tuvia, southern Israel, on July 20

In the last decade, Unilever has invested about $294 million in the Israeli market i - where around 85% of the products sold are made in Israel, Jope said.

'From a Unilever perspective, this is a complex matter because since we acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000, as part of the acquisition agreement, we have always recognized the right of the brand and its independent Board to take decisions in accordance with its social mission,' Jope said. 

He added that Ben & Jerry's has also 'made it clear' that the company will continue to sell ice cream in the rest of Israel - reiterating the company's original July statement.

'We have welcomed this decision to stay in Israel emphatically, and have been seeking to handle this matter in as respectful and sensitive way as possible,' Jope wrote.

'I would also like to make it exceptionally clear that Unilever rejects completely and repudiates unequivocally any form of discrimination or intolerance. Antisemitism has no place in any society.'

Ben & Jerry's cofounders Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield penned an op-ed to say that they 'unequivocally support' the company's decision to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank to boycott Israeli settlements

Jope reiterated that the company has 'never expressed any support for the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement' and has 'no intention' of doing so.

'I hope that this letter goes some way to reassuring you that we recognise the concerns you have raised,' Jope wrote.

Kranjac responded to Jope's letter in an emailed statement to DailyMail.com.

'The new letter from Mr. Jope is more corporate drivel from Unilever,' Kranjac said. 'They know they've made a mistake by discriminating against parts of Israel.'

Kranjac added: 'Unilever should hold its subsidiary Ben & Jerry's accountable for its actions and reiterate that discrimination has no place at Unilever.'

The Jewish co-founders of Ben & Jerry's have said that they 'unequivocally support' the company's decision to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank to boycott Israeli settlements.

Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who co-founded the ice cream chain in 1978 and sold it to Unilever in 2000, endorsed the decision in an op-ed for the The New York Times in July. 

'We are the founders of Ben & Jerry's. We are also proud Jews. It's part of who we are and how we've identified ourselves for our whole lives. As our company began to expand internationally, Israel was one of our first overseas markets. We were then, and remain today, supporters of the State of Israel,' Cohen and Greenfield wrote.

'But it's possible to support Israel and oppose some of its policies, just as we've opposed policies of the U.S. government.'

Cohen and Greenfield continued: 'As such, we unequivocally support the decision of the company to end business in the occupied territories, which the international community, including the United Nations, has deemed an illegal occupation.'

The businessmen noted that they no longer have control over the company's operations but praised Ben & Jerry's for the 'especially brave' decision and said the company is 'on the right side of history'.

'Ending the sales of ice cream in the occupied territories is one of the most important decisions the company has made in its 43-year history,' they wrote.

Cohen and Greenfield continued: 'Even though it undoubtedly knew that the response would be swift and powerful, Ben & Jerry's took the step to align its business and operations with its progressive values.'

'That we support the company's decision is not a contradiction nor is it anti-Semitic. In fact, we believe this act can and should be seen as advancing the concepts of justice and human rights, core tenets of Judaism.'

The co-founders noted that Ben & Jerry's distinctly decided to halt sales in the territories which Israel occupies - not the nation of Israel itself.

'The decision outside Israel's democratic borders is not a boycott of Israel,' they wrote. 'The Ben & Jerry's statement did not endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.'

Cohen and Greenfield added: 'As Jewish supporters of the State of Israel, we fundamentally reject the notion that it is anti-Semitic to question the policies of the State of Israel.'