Some Grocery Stores Pulling Ben & Jerry's Off Shelves After Brand Announces Plans To Stop Selling Ice Cream In Occupied Palestinian Territories
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Ben & Jerry's is facing backlash after announcing it will stop selling ice cream in occupied Palestinian territories.
Fans of the socially conscious brand had taken Ben & Jerry's to task for doing business in Israel, especially in West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.
Not everyone agrees with the plan to stop selling there, however. That includes Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"I will not be eating any more Cherry Garcia for a while," he said Tuesday. "This is a mistake. They shouldn't do this."
Some grocery store chains are also pulling Ben & Jerry's ice cream from their shelves as a result of the boycott.
Morton Williams, for example, removed most of its Ben and Jerry's products and moved what was left to the bottom of the freezer.
"You don't get there by boycotting ice cream," co-owner Avi Kaner told CBS2's Lisa Rozner. "Even the most liberal minded person who believes in a two-state solution knows ultimately there will be territorial exchanges and swaps... It's not up to Ben & Jerry's as an ice cream company to dictate what the borders should be."
Israel's government warned of "severe consequences" if Ben & Jerry's parent company doesn't reverse the decision.
Editor's note: This story was first published on Tuesday, July 20.