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Organizations Worldwide Sign a Letter Urging Ben & Jerry’s to Honor its Social Mission
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Organizations worldwide call on Ben & Jerry’s to end its complicity in Israel’s occupation and illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
Jostein Solheim, CEO
Ben & Jerry's
30 Community Drive
South Burlington, Vermont 05403-6828
September 9, 2013
Dear CEO Solheim:
Ben & Jerry's has long advocated for peace and human rights. Your Social Mission articulates a commitment to the welfare, security and dignity of all communities, local, national and international. And yet Ben & Jerry products are being sold in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Their existence is predicated on systematic repression, racial segregation, land dispossession, the unlawful expropriation of water, and pervasive violence against Palestinians.
We who have signed this letter share a commitment to international law and human rights principles. Therefore, we are writing to urge Ben & Jerry's to stand by its Social Mission and to ensure that its products are not sold, catered and distributed in Israeli settlements. Taking this action would help to expose the devastating consequences and illegality of Israel's settlement enterprise. It would also set a powerful example of socially responsible engagement in Israel/Palestine for other companies to emulate.
The call for companies to cease doing business in the occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) has had tremendous success throughout Europe and is growing on American college campuses nationwide. The call has been echoed in the United Nations and supported by mainline Protestant denominations in the United States and Canada.
In January, a United Nations' fact-finding mission issued a report calling on private companies doing business in Israeli settlements "to assess the human rights impact of their activities and take all necessary steps – including by terminating their business interests in the settlements – to ensure they are not adversely impacting the human rights of the Palestinian People in conformity with international law as well as the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights."
In May, 2012, the United Methodist Church passed a resolution denouncing Israel's occupation and settlements, and beseeching "all nations to prohibit the import of products made by companies in Israeli settlements on Palestinian land." Shortly thereafter, in July 2012, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for " the boycott of all Israeli products coming from the occupied Palestinian territories". The rationale for the resolution noted that "Since the occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967, Israel has used its military rule to the advantage of Israeli corporations and economic interests, many times to the detriment of the Palestinian economy under its control. "
Although Ben & Jerry's Israeli franchise is not manufacturing ice cream in the settlements, by selling to settlement venues it is a corporate beneficiary of Israel's military and economic domination of the oPt.
We cannot reconcile Ben & Jerry's Social Mission and support of progressive causes with your franchise's commerce in Israeli settlements. Thus, consistent with international law and Ben & Jerry's Social Mission, we call on you to take all necessary contractual and legal measures to bring your franchise's settlement business to an end in a verifiable way, and to release a public statement of your company's commitment to end its business ties to Israel’s occupation and settlement enterprise.
Signed,
1 14 Friends of Palestine, Marin. - San Rafael, California
2 ACAT France (Action des Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de la Torture/Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture) - Paris, France
3 Action Group at KTH for Academic Boycott of Israel (Sweden)
4 Adalah-NY | The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel, New York
5 Albany-Corvallis Friends of Middle East Peace, Corvallis, Oregon
6 Amanah Tuition, Birmingham , UK
7 American Friends Service Committee. - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8 American Friends Service Committee-Iowa. - Des Moines, Iowa
9 American Jews for a Just Peace. - Boston, Massachusetts
10 American Muslims for Palestine. - Palos Hills, Illinois
11 American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. - Washington, D.C.
12 Americans Committed to Justice and Truth , Oregon
13 Americans for a Just Peace in the Middle East. - Santa Barbara, California
14 Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights. - Portland, Oregon
15 ARCH (Alliance to Restore Cultural Heritage in the Holy City of Jerusalem), Geneva, Switzerland
16 Artists Against Apartheid. - artistsagainstapartheid.org
17 Auckland University Students for Justice in Palestine. - New Zealand
18 Bay Area Women in Black. - Oakland, California
19 BDS Slovenia, Lubiana, Slovenia
20 BDS South Africa. - South Africa
21 BDS-LA for Justice in Palestine. - Los Angeles, California
22 Blue Pencil Solutions, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
23 Boycott From Within. - Israel
24 Breed Platform Palestina Haarlem, Haarlem, Netherlands
25 Brooklyn College Students for Justice in Palestine. - Brooklyn, New York
26 Brooklyn for Peace. - Brooklyn, New York
27 Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
28 Bubbes & Zaydes (grandparents) for Peace in the Middle East, Philadelphia Pa
29 Building More Future Opportunities and Capacities (BMFOCA) Foundation. Ilorin, Kwara, Nigeria
30 Bumblebee Global Connections. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
31 Campagne BDS France [French BDS Campaign](France)
32 Carlisle Peace College. - Pennslyvania
33 Chicago Divests. - Chicago, Illinois
34 Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy. - Chicago, Illinois
35 Chico Palestine Action Group, Chico, California
36 Christians Witnessing for Palestine. - Rochester, New York
37 Christ's Way Church. - Portland, Oregon
38 Citizens for Justice in the Middle East. - Kansas City, Missouri
39 Citizens for Palestinian Self-Determination, Lincoln, Nebraska
40 Clark University Students for Palestinian Rights. - Worcester, Massachusetts
41 Coalition for Peace with Justice. - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
42 Coalition to Stop
43 Code Pink Peace. - Phoenix, Arizona
44 Code Pink Taos. - Taos, New Mexico
45 Code Pink, Los Angeles, CA
46 Code Pink, San Francisco, CA
47 Code Pink, Washington, D.C.
48 CodePink,Washington State - Quilcene, WA
49 CodePinkHayward - Hayward, California
50 CodePinkTennessee Summertown, TN
51 Collectif 69 de Soutien au Peuple Palestinien [The '69 Collective' Supporting the People of Palestine] (Lyon, France)
52 Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine [Alliance of Arabs, Jews and Citizens for Palestine](Strasbourg-France)
53 Colorado Coalition Against Attacking Iran, Boulder, CO
54 Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine. - Oak Park, Illinois
55 Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism (CODZ), New York, NY, USA
56 Committee for Palestinian Rights (Howard County, MD). - Columbia, Maryland
57 Committee for Peace in Israel and Palestine. - Connecticut/New York
58 Comuneros, Jackson Heights, Queens, NY
59 Cornell Students for Justice in Palestine. - Ithaca, New York
60 Council for the National Interest, McLean, VA
61 Culture and Conflict Forum, SAN JOSE, California, USA
62 DC Statehood Green Party. - Washington, D.C.
63 Delaware Neighbors Against the Occupation (DelNATO), Wilmington, DE
64 Dominican Sisters of Peace, Akron, OH
65 Dorchester People for Peace. - Boston, Massachusetts
66 Empty Quarter (USA)
67 Episcopal Bishop's Committee for Israel/Palestine. - Seattle, Washington
68 Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network. - Ithaca, New York
69 Fire Brigades Union, Scotland, UK.
70 Free Palestine Movement. - El Cerrito, California
71 Free Palestine Subcommittee of the National Lawyers Guild (New York, NY)
72 Friends of Deir Ibz'ia. - San Francisco, California
73 Friends of Palestine Wisconsin. - Germantown, Wisconsin
74 Friends of Sabeel-North America. - Chicago, Illinois
75 Friends of Sabeel-North America. - Denver, Colorado
76 Friends of Sabeel-North America. - Portland, Oregon
77 Friends of the Disabled Association, Mechrif, Monte Liban, Lebanon
78 Global Peace and Justice. - New Zealand
79 Hammerhard MediaWorks (Chicago IL)
80 Helena Service for Peace and Justice. - Helena, Montana
81 Hilton Head for Peace (South Carolina)
82 Home for Peace and Justice. - Saginaw, Michigan
83 Human Rights Today. - Washington, D.C.
84 If Americans Knew, Vancouver, Washington
85 In the Name of Humanity. - Rocky Mount, North Carolina
86 Inter-Denominational Advocates for Peace (IDAP). - Ann Arbor, Michigan
87 International Socialist organization, Burlington, VT
88 International Socialist organization. - Chicago, Illinois
89 International Solidarity Movement - Northern California. - El Cerrito, California
90 International Women's Peace Service. - Deir Istiya, Occupied West Bank
91 Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign. - Ireland
92 Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church, Louisville, Kentucky,USA
93 Israel/Palestine Task Force California Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church.- Stockton, California
94 Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - USA - ( New York)
95 Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. - Finland
96 Jewish Voice for Peace - Portland
97 Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)-Westchester, Westchester County, NY
98 Jewish Voice for Peace San Diego Chapter, San Diego, CA
99 Jewish Voice for Peace, Los Angeles, California
100 Jewish Voice for Peace, Tacoma, WA
101 Jewish Voice for Peace. - Berkeley, California
102 Jewish Voice for Peace. - Boston, Massachusetts.
103 Jewish Voice for Peace. - Sacramento, California.
104 Jewish Voice for Peace-NYC, New York, NY
105 John Jay Students For Justice In Palestine. - New York, New York
106 Just Foreign Policy, Urbana
107 Justice First Foundation. - West Kingston, Rhode Island
108 Justice for Palestinians. - Houston, Texas
109 Justice for Palestinians. - San Jose, California
110 Kairos USA. - Portland, Oregon
111 Karama, Arab and Islamic world information center, San Diego, CA
112 Keep Hope Alive. - San Francisco, California
113 Kia Ora Gaza. - New Zealand
114 L.A. Jews for Peace. - Los Angeles, California
115 LatinosAndLatinAmericans for Palestine, New York, New York
116 Louisville Committee for Peace in the Middle East. - Louisville, Kentucky
117 Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land, a Ministry of Central Lutheran Church in Portland, Oegon
118 Madison-Rafah Sister City Project. - Madison, Wisconsin
119 Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights. - Buxton, Maine
120 Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. - Washington, D.C.
121 Medical Aid for Palestine, Montreal, Canada
122 Meta Peace Team. - Lansing, Michigan
123 Methodist Federation for Social Action. - Washington, D.C.
124 Middle East Children's Alliance. - Berkeley, California
125 Middle East Crisis Committee. - West Haven, Connecticut
126 Middle East Crisis Response. - Woodstock, New York
127 Middle East Peace Now. - Bloomington, Minnesota
128 Middle East Policy Advisory Committee. - Oakland, California
129 Middle East Research and Information Project. - Washington, D.C.
130 Middle East Study Group. - Martinez, California
131 Mid-East Just Peace. - Michigan
132 Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign. - St. Paul, Minnesota
133 Minnesota Coalition for Palestinian Rights. - Minneapolis, Minnesota
134 Minnesota Peace Project. - Minneapolis, Minnesota
135 MRIHR. - Watertown, Maine
136 NCBDS North Carolina Boycott Divestment Sanctions. - Durham, North Carolina
137 Neonatal Experts, PLLC, Richardson, TX USA
138 Netherlands Palestine Committee (NPK), Netherlands
139 New York University Students for Justice in Palestine
140 NH Veterans for Peace. - Auburn, New Hampshire
141 Nicaragua Center for Community Action, Berkeley, CA, USA
142 NorCal Friends of Sabeel. - Berkeley, California
143 North Coast Coalition for Palestine. - Santa Rosa, California
144 North Hills United Methodist Church Mission, California
145 North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice - Ipswich, MA
146 North Texas BDS, Forh Worth, Texas
147 Northeastern University Students for Justice in Palestine. - Boston, Massachusetts
148 Northfielders for Justice in Palestine/Israel, Northfield, Minnesota, USA
149 Northwest BDS Coalition, Washington State USA
150 NYACT | New Yorkers Against the Cornell-Technion Partnership (New York, NY)
151 Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Advocacy Initiative - Beit Sahour, Palestine
152 Open Shuhuda Street. - South Africa
153 Palestine Israel Action Group. - Ann Arbor, Michigan
154 Palestine Solidarity Committee - Harvard College (Cambridge, MA)
155 Palestine Solidarity Committee - Seattle. - Seattle, Washington
156 Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace, Vienna, Virginia, USA
157 Palestinians for Peace & Democracy. - Houston, Texas
158 Park Slope Food Coop Members for BDS, Brookline, NY
159 Partners for Peace, Hartland, MI
160 PAUSE / Palestine Action Unionsquare East (New York, New York)
161 Pax Christi Maine. - Maine
162 Pax Christi. - South Portland
163 Peace Action. - Silver Spring, Maryland
164 Peace Committee of West Hills Friends Church. - Portland, Oregon
165 Peace Panel Project, Chico, CA
166 Peace Tax Foundation. - Washington, D.C.
167 PEACEWORKERS, San Francisco, CA USA
168 People for Justice in Palestine - Iowa City, IA
169 People for Peace. - Canada
170 People of Faith. - West Hartford, Connecticut
171 Peregrine Forum of Wisconsin. - Madison, Wisconsin
172 Peterborough Peace Campaign, Peterborough, UK
173 Philly BDS (The Philadelphia Coalition for Boycott, Divestmet, and Sanctions against Israel), Philadelphia, PA
174 Portlanders Opposed to the Occupation of Palestine
175 Portsmouth/S Downs Palestine Solidarity Campaign (Portsmouth, UK)
176 Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. - Stony Point, New York
177 Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice. - Olympia, Washington
178 Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice. - Racine, Wisconsin
179 ranumpowerplay.com
180 Rays of Hope Stiftung, Baar/Zug Switzerland
181 Rebuilding Alliance. - San Mateo, California
182 Red Wing Veterans for Peace. - Red Wing, Minnesota
183 Refugee Advocacy Group (Melbourne, VIC, Australia)
184 Rochester Chapter of MN Break the Bonds Campaign, Rochester, MN, USA
185 Rock Hill for Peace, Rock Hill, SC USA
186 Sacramento BDS, Sacramento, CA
187 Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights. - Sacramento, California
188 Salaam Shalom. - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
189 Salem Peace Committee - Salem, MA, USA
190 San Jose Peace and Justice Center. - San Jose, California
191 Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign. - Seattle, Washington
192 Senior Citizen Alert, California USA
193 SOAW (Schoolof the Americas Watch), USA, Latin America
194 Socialist Workers of Anchorage, Alaska (Anchorage, AK., United States)
195 South Somerset Palestine Israel Peace Group, UK
196 Southampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign (Southampton, UK)
197 Sporty K9, Ltd, Delray Beach, FL USA
198 St Johns Presbyterian Church. - San Francisco, California
199 St. Louis Jewish Voice for Peace. - St. Louis, Missouri
200 St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee. - St. Louis, Missouri
201 St. Louis Women in Black (St. Louis, MO)
202 Strength Through Peace. - Fort Collins, Colorado
203 Students for a Free Palestine. - Oberlin, Ohio
204 Students for Justice in Palestine - Suffolk University, Boston, MA
205 Students for Justice in Palestine at College of Staten Island. - Staten Island, New York
206 Students for Justice in Palestine at Hunter College. - New York, New York
207 Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
208 Students for Justice in Palestine- UC San Diego. - San Diego, California
209 Students for Justice in Palestine, Rutgers University. - New Brunswick, New Jersey
210 Students for Justice in Palestine. - Staten Island, New York
211 Students for Justice in Palestine--University of Houston. - Houston, Texas
212 Students for Justice in Palestine--University of New Mexico. - Albuquerque, New Mexico
213 Students for Palestine (Southampton, UK)
214 Sussex Friends of Palestine (Brighton, UK)
215 The Alternative Information Center (Jerusalem/Beit Sahour Palestine/Israel)
216 The Canadian Palestinian Foundation of Quebec
217 The Free Radicals, Douglas, Isle of Man
218 The New York Institute of English and Business, New York, USA
219 The Palestine Human Rights Campaign. - New Zealand
220 The Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden (PGS)
221 Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB) (New York City, NY)
222 Tiffin Area Pax Christi. - Tiffin, Ohio
223 Tree of Life Educational Fund. - Lyme, Connecticut
224 Tucson Women in Black. - Tucson, Arizona
225 UJP Palestine Task Force. - Massachusetts
226 Une Autre Voix Juive [A Different Jewish Voice](France https://uavj.free.fr)
227 Union Juive Française Pour la Paix [Jewish-French United for Peace](France)
228 Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East. - Plymouth, Michigan
229 United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network. - Cleveland, Ohio
230 United Methodist Church. - Buffalo, New York
231 United Methodist Kairos Response. - Middletown, Ohio
232 United Methodist Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel of UNY Conference.- Horseheads, New York
233 United Methodists' Holy Land Task Force. - Culver City, California
234 University of Denver Students for Justice in Palestine. - Denver, Colorado
235 Upper Hudson Peace Action. - Albany, New York
236 US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. - California
237 US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. - Washington, D.C.
238 US Citizens Against War. - Florence, Italy
239 US North West Regional BDS Coalition, Seattle, WA, USA
240 US Peace Council; New Haven, CT
241 Vancouver for Peace. - Vancouver, Washington
242 Vermonters for Justice in Palestine
243 Veterans For Peace (San Francisco California, U.S.A.)
244 Vrouwen in het Zwart (Women in Black), Amsterdam, NL
245 Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace. - Washington, D.C.
246 Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment. - Watertown, Massachusetts
247 Watford Friends of Salfeet - Palestine, Watford, UK
248 WeAreWideAwake.org. - Clermont, Florida
249 Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club. - Berkeley, California
250 WESPAC Foundation (Westchester, NY)
251 Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. - Black Mountain, North Carolina
252 Wisconsin Middle East Lobby Group. - Wisconsin
253 Women in Black (Vienna), Vienna, Austria
254 Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S. Section - Boston, MA
255 Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. - Boulder, Colorado
256 Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. - Santa Cruz, California
257 Yallah English (Dallas, Texas)
258 Yeshurin - Judaism Against Zionism (Antwerp - Belgium)
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