Councilman Bruce Blakeman and Supervisor Don Clavin were joined along with local officials, community members and spiritual leaders at Hempstead Town Hall today. They announced actions to direct all Town of Hempstead commissioners to cease any contracts and municipal business with Ben and Jerry’s and its parent company, Unilever. Local officials today deployed their strong anti-BDS legislation and demonstrated their commitment to Israel.
This means that every Lipton tea bag, every packet of Hellman’s mayonnaise and a myriad of other Unilever products will be gone. The Councilman also mentioned that he will be reaching out to all local groceries stores, encouraging them to do the same.
Companies under Unilever include (not limited to): Axe, Dove, Knorr, Lipton, Magnum, Pond’s, Talenti, Vaseline, Breyers, Caress, Degree and Good Humor. The ban on all these products throughout Hempstead would be a tremendous blow to the company, which has been hit hard globally, since the anti-semitic social media post was sent out.
Ben & Jerry's announced they would no longer be selling their products in the Israeli territories of East Jerusalem as well as Judea and Samaria (the West Bank); a move made in support of the anti-Semitic (BDS) movement that seeks to undermine the State of Israel.
— TOH Supervisor Don Clavin (@TOHClavin) July 22, 2021
There is zero tolerance for hate in any form here in America's largest township, and that includes acts of anti-semitism. We will always stand with America's friend and ally, Israel.
— TOH Supervisor Don Clavin (@TOHClavin) July 22, 2021
Thank you @dorothylgoosby for standing up for Israel and against the same kind of deliberate exclusion you faced in your life pic.twitter.com/bbBVtpRuTt
— Itay Milner (@ItayMilner) July 22, 2021
It was an important day of bipartisanship with @HempsteadTown. As @DonClavinTOH said so well, “It is time to do what is right” and fight BDS. Thank you to the supervisor, @dorothylgoosby, @Bruce_Blakeman and the rest of the town council.
We will not sit by and allow companies to discriminate against Jews. BDS seeks to destroy Israel and it will not be tolerated in America's largest Town. 🇺🇸🇮🇱 2/2
— Anthony P. D'Esposito (@ANTHONYDESPO) July 22, 2021
We must come together. pic.twitter.com/gSzGOFpxBF
— Itay Milner (@ItayMilner) July 22, 2021
This comes just one day after the Town of Hempstead admonished the Ben & Jerry & Unilever companies in a statement:
Local officials continue to admonish the BDS movement:
I strongly oppose the antisemitic BDS movement whose stated goal is the elimination of the only Jewish state, our ally Israel.
Those seeking to single out and delegitimize Israel with destructive boycotts do nothing to promote peace.
— Kathleen Rice (@RepKathleenRice) July 22, 2021
I am disappointed by Ben & Jerry’s decision to align itself with the anti-Israel BDS movement, which unfairly and dangerously singles out the world’s only Jewish State.
Full statement: pic.twitter.com/SsU9M62ozo
— Laura Curran (@NassauExecutive) July 22, 2021
Late Thursday afternoon Florida Governor DeSantis called to immediately place Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever on the Continued Examination of Companies that Boycott Israel List, and to stop investment in these companies:
Breaking: @GovRonDeSantis calls to immediately put @benandjerrys & @Unilever on the Continued Examination of Companies that Boycott Israel List, & to stop investment in these companies. Florida is putting its words into action to fight #BDS
We are grateful for this leadership. pic.twitter.com/2cTGIAlOkt— Chaskel Bennett (@ChaskelBennett) July 22, 2021
