Two days after Ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's announced it plans a de-facto boycott on Jews in Judea and Samaria, one can tell the difference between the good, the bad, and the ugly.
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Let's start with the bad. Ben & Jerry's boycott comes from the worst possible place โ it's part of the same racist and antisemitic campaign that opposes the existence of one sole state in the world - the Jewish state.
The leaders of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement don't care about peace, justice or human rights, nor are they interested in the two-state solution. They simply cannot tolerate the existence of the Jewish state and their sole focus lies on obliterating Israel using violent delegitimization.
The ugly, or in this case โ the hostile โ is Ben & Jerry's. Under the guise of social and value policies, the ice cream giant boasts hypocrisy and double standards.
They walked right into the BDS campaign's trap because they see themselves as more than an ice cream company, but an ice cream company with a message. As such, they have adopted a progressive policy, and now they are using it to flog Israel.
They, too, are not interested in human rights, peace or justice, as clearly demonstrated by the fact that they sell their products in China, Iran, and Syria.
Let us focus on the good. The good is Avi Zinder, Ben & Jerry's Israeli franchisee, who didn't hesitate to refuse to sign a new contract with the company when he saw its terms.
This wasn't a populist move but a genuine one and it was done before Ben & Jerry's outrageous decision was made public. Zinger's move was pursued quietly and courageously. The war against BDS and antisemitism has new heroes and he is one of them.
The good also includes the Jews and non-Jews overseas who denounced the move over their own basic sense of justice, peace, and the love of Israel.
The supermarket owners, rabbis, communities, and activists who decided to fight sanctions with sanctions and are taking a stand against Ben & Jerry's, there, in the US. The mayor of New York spoke out against this anti-peace move, and supermarket owners took the company's products off the shelves, proudly declaring they stand with Israel. These are our brothers.
The good also includes the Israeli public, who did not keep silent and immediately mobilized to fight the move, while embracing Zinger and his employees.
The same public will also know how to keep an eye on future franchisees, to make sure they don't even entertain the notion of agreeing to such discriminatory conditions by the ice cream company.
The Israeli public, with the exception of the far Left, can be proud of itself for mounting a healthy response to Ben & Jerry's ugly move; for the natural response that showed that there is a proud, vibrant public here that doesn't hesitate to fight.
It is not enough to smile politely or ignore antisemitism when it is staring you in the face. Dealing with it requires a fist that knows how to strike back.
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