A Plurality of American Voters Support Ben & Jerry’s
Decision to Boycott Israeli Settlements
Washington, DC, September 1, 2021 — The decision by Ben & Jerry’s to stop selling ice cream in Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian lands is supported by a significant plurality of American voters.
The iconic Vermont-based ice cream company with an exemplary record of support for social justice issues has argued that it would be inconsistent with their company’s values for them to continue doing business in settlements that are in violation of international law.
Their decision has found favor, most especially, with Democrats and independent voters.
A recent poll commissioned by the Arab American Institute and conducted by John Zogby Strategies found support for the boycott effort.
According to the poll, 49% of Americans agree with the decision Ben & Jerry’s made to withdraw its product from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Only 31% disagree with the company’s decision. Among Democrats, the margin was 65% to 18%.
By a margin of 43% to 26%, American voters said that it was legitimate for opponents of Israel’s settlement policies to call for boycotts or the imposition of sanctions to show displeasure with these policies. Among Democrats, the margin was 57% to 15%.
On July 19, 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced that they would not renew its contract with their Israeli franchisee when the contract expires at the end of 2021 due to the product being sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The announcement caused a frenzy with scurrilous charges of antisemitism being hurled and Israeli leaders calling on U.S. states to sanction Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever.
The recent poll shows that contrary to suggestions that the company would suffer economically and in popularity due to their decision, a plurality of Americans, and a substantial majority of Democrats, support the action and consider boycotts to be a legitimate form of political protest.
“Ben & Jerry’s has long been known for its support for progressive causes and they have now taken the courageous step to extend their social justice activism to support for the Palestinian struggle for freedom and dignity,” said Arab American founder and president James Zogby. “Rather than the decision being seen as an extreme action in support of a fringe movement, the American people are welcoming it as a concrete step to hold Israel accountable and secure equal rights for Palestinians.”
The Arab American Institute is a national civil rights advocacy organization that provides strategic analysis to policy makers and community members to strengthen democracy, protect civil rights and liberties, and defend human rights. AAI organizes the 3.7 million Arab Americans across the country to ensure an informed, organized, and effective constituency is represented in all aspects of civic life.
For more information visit the Arab American Institute Foundation, 1600 K Street, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20006, United States at www.AAIUSA.org
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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