I have bad news about the company that makes some of your favorite products.
Its called Unilever, but you know it by what it sells brands like Hellmanns mayo, Lipton tea, Popsicles and Dove soap.
Oh and Ben & Jerrys.
That one just made headlines.
Unilever announced it was no longer selling the ice cream in Israels West Bank settlements.
Now heres the bad news about the Hellmanns/Lipton/Popsicles/Dove company.
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Despite that self-righteous boycott over supposed morals, Unilever is in favor of funding global terrorism.
And mass murder of civilians.
At least thats the message theyre giving by despite the Israel move continuing to sell in Iran. Yes, Iran.
Oh, and Syria, too.
In the last decade, the Syrian regime has killed over 400,000 people to crush opposition.
And Iran, of course, is known as one of the worst state terrorism sponsors, even funding groups that killed U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Apparently, Unilever is fine with that.
But if the Jews build settlements in disputed land boycott time.
Normally, Id have no problemwith Unilever doing business in places like Iran and Syria. Its called free-market capitalism. Like countless global firms that sell in such countries, theyre neutrally providing products for the people there.
But their Ben & Jerrys boycott changed all that.
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Heres their statement: We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerrys ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
That put the company on record saying their markets reflect their principles. And that they wont sell where they disapprove of policies.
Which means they clearly approve of the mass-murder policies of Syrias leader, Bashar al-Assad.
And also the policies of Iran, which Amnesty International says crushes protests, tortures dissenters, oppresses womenand funds terror.
Unilever sells in China, too, which, again, would normally be fine thats certainly a critical market for American companies.
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But since Unilever says it should be judged by where it sells, that means its a fan of communist tyranny, repression of political opponents and the ethnic cleansing of the Uyghurs.
Unilever must like the dictator in its El Salvador market, too, as well as the corrupt rulers of Venezuela and Lebanon, where political incompetence has caused economic disaster.
But the owner of Ben & Jerry's wont stand for what Israels doing.
Unilever claims its beef is just with the settlements that it's still selling Ben & Jerrys in Israel itself. Except they wont renew the license of the factory that makes the ice cream in Israel. So the target country is clear.
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Lets call it what it is blatant BDS, which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions, the pernicious campaign to delegitimize Israel. Thats the real danger of Unilevers Ben & Jerrys move its a global dog whistle to jump on the anti-Israel train.
Its a go get 'em to Israel haters, especially to liberal campus activists whove jumped on the boycott issue to signal their virtue. Look at us, look at us were standing up against apartheid Israel.
Sure you are.
And embracing Hamas, which murders political opponents, represses womenand uses kids as human shields, and God help you if youre gay in Gaza.
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And as far as the apartheid label, well, almost 2 million Arabs are Israeli citizens, whereas 800,000 Jews were ethnically cleansed from Arab countries, but I guess thats OK.
Also, a fifth of Israeli doctors are Arab, and its Parliament has a dozen Arab reps, who were key in recently bringing in a new prime minister.
Yeah, thats apartheid all right.
One reason Unilever spinelessly caved was because of pressure from boycott backers on social media. Except that Twitter, Facebook and TikTok all have offices in Israel, but, hypocriticially, the campus Israel-haters arent dropping off those in protest. I guess their principles dont apply if it means they could no longer post vain selfies and giggle at memes.
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I sent a journalists inquiry days ago to Unilevers media people asking why theyre boycotting Israeli settlements but not Iran and Syria. I havent heard back. Shocker.
But Ive seen the company insist disingenuously, like other boycotters that theyre not antisemitic; its just about policy.
Oh, got it.
Lets see Unilever feels its OK for Iran to fund terror.
For Syria to commit mass murder.
For China, El Salvador and Venezuela to have repressive dictatorships.
For Yemen, where Unilever also sells, to commit war crimes.
And OK for human rights violations in other company markets like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and more.
But if the Jews build settlements on disputed land, theyre the only country in the world singled out for boycott.
If thats not antisemitism, Unilever, I dont know what is.
mpatinki@providencejournal.com
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