National Organization Of Pro-Hamas Student Groups Once Expressed Support For Ilhan Omar And Rashida Tlaib
'Support for the Palestinian cause is increasing within mainstream politics'
New York yanks $111 million pension fund from Ben & Jerry's parent company over Israel boycott
The New York state pension fund is pulling $111 million in investments from the parent company of Ben & Jerry's because of the ice cream maker's recent boycott of Israel.
Ben & Jerry's announced in July that their ice cream would no longer be sold in the "Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)" because selling frozen treats in the Israeli territory is "inconsistent" with the ice cream company's values.
The New York Common Retirement Fund – the third largest public pension plan in the United States – declared that Ben & Jerry's decision violated the group's policy banning investments in organizations that partake in the boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) movement against Israel.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli — the sole manager of $263 billion in assets – said he would yank $111 million from Ben & Jerry's parent company Unilever.
"After a thorough review, the New York State Common Retirement Fund will divest its equity holdings in Unilever PLC," DiNapoli told the New York Post. "Our review of the activities of the company, and its subsidiary Ben & Jerry's, found they engaged in BDS activities under our pension fund's policy."
"We will be divesting those investments. Ben & Jerry's engaged in BDS activities," said a spokesman for DiNapoli.
Former Brooklyn state Assemblyman Dov Hikind reacted by saying, "This is wonderful news. God bless Tom DiNapoli. BDS equals anti-Semitism and Comptroller DiNapoli stood up against hate."
Liz Gordon – Executive Director of Corporate Governance at New York State Common Retirement Fund – reportedly gave a warning to Unilever CEO Alan Jope in July.
"The Fund views BDS activities as a potential threat to Israel, its economy, and, as a result, the Fund's relevant investments," Gordon allegedly wrote to Jope in a letter. "Further, a number of U.S. states have acted or are considering actions to penalize companies that engage in such behavior."
Jope responded on Aug. 4, "Unilever has a strong and longstanding commitment to our business in Israel. We employ nearly 2,000 people in the country across our four factories and head office, and we have invested approximately $250 million in the Israeli market over the last decade."
"On this decision, it was no different," Jope added. "Ben & Jerry's has also made it clear that although the brand will not be present in the West Bank from 2023, it will remain in Israel through a different business arrangement."
There are 35 U.S. states that require their governments to stop doing business with companies that boycott Israel.
Gilad Erdan – Israel's ambassador to the United States and the United Nations – sent letters to the governors of the 35 U.S. states to urge them to stop doing business with Ben & Jerry's.
"I ask that you consider speaking out against the company's decision, and taking any other relevant steps, including in relation to your state laws and the commercial dealings between Ben and Jerry's and your state," Erdan wrote in July.
Florida, Arizona, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, and Rhode Island have launched formal proceedings against the Israel boycott by Ben & Jerry's.
In July, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced that his state would no longer do business with Unilever over Ben & Jerry's boycott of Israel.
"As you know, Florida has long had a strong relationship with the State of Israel," DeSantis proclaimed at the time. "As a matter of law and principle, the State of Florida does not tolerate discrimination against the State of Israel or the Israeli people, including boycotts and divestments targeting Israel."
Florida has $139 million invested in British consumer goods conglomerate Unilever.
In September, Arizona announced that it will divest all state funds from Unilever – which would amount to a $143 million withdrawal of investments.
"As Arizona Treasurer, I've divested all state funds from Ben & Jerry's for boycotting Israel," said State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. "Israel is and will continue to be a major trade partner of AZ. "
Also last month, the New Jersey Division of Investment announced that it would divest in Unilever. The N.J. Treasury Department said it has approximately $182 million in Unilever holdings including stocks, bonds, and short-term paper.
Ben & Jerry's bows to anti-Israel activists, won't sell ice cream in 'Occupied Palestinian Territory'
Ben & Jerry's, the politically activist Burlington, Vermont-based ice cream company, released a statement Monday announcing that its ice cream would no longer be sold in "Occupied Palestinian Territory" belonging to Israel.
"We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry's ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)," the company said, referring to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, ancestral Israeli territory that Palestinians claim is illegally occupied by the Jewish state.
The announcement was posted on the company's Twitter account and is the first social media post Ben & Jerry's issued in nearly two months. According to the Boston Globe, Ben & Jerry's social media page went silent in May after pro-Palestinian activists started a campaign to pressure the company into disavowing its ties to Israel following a the outbreak of renewed violence in the Gaza Strip.
At the time, Hamas terrorists targeted Israeli civilians with rocket attacks, and Israeli Defense Forces responded with airstrikes in Gaza. Over 11 days of violence, more than 230 Palestinians were killed, including 65 children, and at least 12 Israelis died, including two children. The disparity can attributed in part to the success of Israel's Iron Dome defense system, which protects Israeli citizens from Palestinian rockets, and also in part to Hamas hiding military targets behind civilian shields.
Outraged pro-Palestinian activists demanded that Ben & Jerry's speak out against Israeli violence, observing that the company has a long track record of being outspoken for other progressive causes including LGBT rights, voting rights, campaign finance reform, and racial issues.
A local Vermont group, Vermonters for Justice in Palestine, criticized the company for being silent on the conflict and for licensing a factory in Israel, which produces and distributes ice cream throughout the country, including in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The license agreement was "born out of a friendship between Ben & Jerry's cofounder Ben Cohen and Israeli businessman Avi Zinger in the 1980s", the Globe reported.
In 2013, Vermonters for Justice in Palestine (VTJP) prepared a report for Ben & Jerry's executives that documented how the company distributed ice cream in "Occupied Palestinian Territory," but it went unnoticed.
"We've tried to appeal to them based on their mission of love, peace, equality. But they ignored us," said Wafic Faour, who led VTJP's Ben & Jerry's campaign. "Now, public opinion is changing, especially due to the younger generations who have taken to social media and protests and come to our aid. They can no longer ignore us."
Monday's statement from Ben & Jerry's acknowledges the partnership with an Israeli licensee and commits to making changes.
"We have a longstanding partnership with our licensee, who manufactures Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Israel and distributes it in the region. We have been working to change this, and so we have informed our licensee that we will not renew the license agreement when it expires at the end of next year," the company said.
"Although Ben & Jerry's will no longer be sold in the OPT, we will stay in Israel through a different arrangement. We will share an update on this as soon as we're ready," the statement concluded.
Reacting, the anti-anti-Semitism group StopAntisemitism.org criticized Ben & Jerry's for kowtowing to the radical Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) movement against Israel.
"Ben and Jerry's fails to realize BDS refers to ALL of Israel as occupied Palestinian territory," the organization tweeted. "Do they honestly think appeasing these bigots will help anything?"
Ben and Jerry's fails to realize BDS refers to ALL of Israel as occupied Palestinian territory. Do they honestly… https://t.co/RilnBzaBpe
— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) 1626707439.0
Black Lives Matter demands 'Palestinian liberation,' receives praise from anti-Israel movement
The political activist organization Black Lives Matter declared this week that it supports "Palestinian liberation," a head-nod to anti-Israeli sentiment as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
The declaration was warmly received by an anti-Israel movement that seeks to economically destroy Israel.
What did the group say?
Black Lives Matter said it is standing in solidarity with "Palestinian liberation" because it opposes "settler colonialism."
"Black Lives Matter stands in solidarity with Palestinians. We are a movement committed to ending settler colonialism in all forms and will continue to advocate for Palestinian liberation. ( always have. And always will be )," the group tweeted.
In response, the movement that seeks to destroy Israel — Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions, a movement often described as anti-Semitic — thanked Black Lives Matter for supporting their mission.
"Thank you for your solidarity. From Ferguson to Palestine, our struggles against racism, white supremacy and for a just world are united!" the group tweeted.
@Blklivesmatter Thank you for your solidarity. From Ferguson to Palestine, our struggles against racism, white supr… https://t.co/ybqSFAH9Yj
— BDS movement (@BDSmovement) 1621328456.0
What is going on?
Far-left progressives have been outspoken over the last week in their support for Palestine as tensions flare between Israel and Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
The fighting started May 10 when Hamas terrorists began attacking Israel with missiles following violent clashes between Muslims and Israelis at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Israel has responded with a fierce military campaign, destroying key Hamas targets in Hamas-controlled Gaza. Casualties are mounting on both sides.
The war has reignited rhetoric from Pro-Palestine advocates, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for example, who accuse Israel of operating "apartheid states" like South Africa did for much of the 20th century.
Advocates of "Palestinian liberation" often cite Israeli's occupation of the West Bank, which is split into areas controlled by Palestinian authorities and Israeli authorities. They also cite the ongoing sea, land, and air blockade of the Gaza Strip as further evidence, and claim Arabs in Israel are treated as second-class citizens. They also accuse Israel of committing "war crimes," and blame Israel for Palestinian deaths.
Israel has made it clear, however, that Israeli Defense Forces take special pains to avoid civilian casualties, while Hamas terrorists use their own citizens as "human shields," firing rockets from dense residential areas that often fail to make it across the border.
International pressure has increased for a ceasefire in recent days, but doing so would allow Hamas to win, an Israeli official said Tuesday.
"We say to stop prematurely is to give Hamas the victory it wants," the Israeli official told ABC News. "Hamas has to come out of this defeated."
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