Ben & Jerry's boycott puts ice cream maker on rocky road with Israel
CBSN
Israel's prime minister vowed Tuesday to "act aggressively" against the decision by Ben & Jerry's to stop selling its ice cream in Israeli-occupied territories, as the country's ambassador to the U.S. urged dozens of state governors to punish the company under anti-boycott laws.
The strong reaction reflected concerns in Israel that the ice cream maker's decision could lead other companies to follow suit. It also appeared to set the stage for a protracted public relations and legal battle. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said he spoke with Alan Jope, chief executive of Ben & Jerry's parent company, the food conglomerate Unilever, and raised concern about what he called a "clearly anti-Israel step." He said the move would have "serious consequences, legal and otherwise," and Israel "will act aggressively against all boycott actions directed against its citizens."Noumea — France's president held a flurry of meetings with local representatives in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging calm after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will stay in place to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."
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