US state supervisor Illinois consumer goods company Unilever To reverse the boycott of subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s against settlement areas in Israel. Andy Lapin, chairman of the Israeli boycott sanctions committee, said they want Unilever to set a 90-day deadline. If Unilever does not comply with the demand, Illinois must by law divest all investments in the group and its daughters.

Last week, US ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would sell its products in Western coast and in East Jerusalem from the end of 2022 to coordinate. The settlement policy there is in line with the corporate values »inconsistent«, was asked to justify it.

Ben & Jerry’s has repeatedly stirred up political statements. Founders Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield wrote in the New York Times that, although they no longer controlled the company, they supported the decision. “We are also proud Jews,” Cohen and Greenfield said in the opinion piece. But it is possible to “support Israel and reject parts of its policy, as we did with the US government.”

Most US states have passed laws that prevent the boycott of Israel by the so-called BDS movement (Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions) to complicate or prevent. Illinois last enacted its law in 2018. Responsible Supervisors Threatened Vacation Rental Agents That Time airbnbWhen it announced that it would no longer offer housing in the West Bank.

Airbnb avoided the consequences by rescinding its announcement and assuring state officials that it would not violate the requirements. Unilever boss Alan Jopp has already assured that he is fully committed to doing business with Israel. But he left it open whether assistant Ben & Jerry’s would have to reverse his decision.