{"id":1065036,"date":"2021-11-29T15:00:49","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T20:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1065036"},"modified":"2021-11-29T15:00:52","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T20:00:52","slug":"republican-and-democratic-lawmakers-urge-sec-to-examine-ben-jerrys-israel-boycott","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-and-democratic-lawmakers-urge-sec-to-examine-ben-jerrys-israel-boycott\/","title":{"rendered":"Republican And Democratic Lawmakers Urge SEC To Examine Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s Israel Boycott"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublican-and-democratic-lawmakers-urge-sec-to-examine-ben-jerrys-israel-boycott%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1065036&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Four members of the House of Representatives asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to examine Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s halt on ice cream sales in certain parts of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/leftist-ben-jerrys-targets-israel-we-wont-sell-ice-cream-in-judea-and-samaria\">The Daily Wire<\/a> reported earlier this year, Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s \u2014 which often endorses left-leaning policies \u2014 decided to stop selling its products in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The company, wholly owned by Unilever yet retaining its own Board of Directors, said that it is \u201cinconsistent with our values\u201d to sell in \u201cOccupied Palestinian Territory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/jewishinsider.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/29094120\/Unilever-Congressional-Letter_Final.pdf\">letter<\/a> to SEC chairman Gary Gensler \u2014 signed by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) \u2014 argued that the company\u2019s policy is inconsistent with many state laws:<\/p>\n<p>We have been informed that, Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s has halted the sale of its products in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We also understand that the actions by Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s disregards numerous United States\u2019 state laws, which requires a state to divest from companies that participate in such boycotts. To date, Arizona, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas have taken steps to divest of Unilever\u2019s common shares. Additionally, 30 other states have enacted \u201canti-BDS\u201d laws, all of which may consider divestiture in response to public appeal.<\/p>\n<p>The lawmakers also noted that Unilever\u2019s federal filings neglected to acknowledge the business risks of divesting from certain parts of Israel:<\/p>\n<p>It is also our understanding that Unilever may have violated Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 relating to material omissions in the 6-K. Given the potential negative impact of such material omissions, which is why we believe the SEC should ask Unilever to revise the \u201cPrincipal Risk Factors\u201d section of their 6-K to fully and accurately disclose the potential material adverse consequences to the company based by the claimed independence of the Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s Board of Directors, and the specific potential effects of the Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s boycott.<\/p>\n<p>We have also been informed that the 6-K filed by Unilever fails to include specific language that details the potential adverse consequences to Unilever created by the Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s boycott in its \u201cPrincipal Risk Factors\u201d section.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, New York\u2019s Common Retirement Fund <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/nys-huge-pension-fund-yanks-over-100-million-from-ben-jerrys-parent-company\">announced<\/a> in October that it would jettison its $111 million in Unilever holdings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter a thorough review, the New York State Common Retirement Fund will divest its equity holdings in Unilever PLC,\u201d said New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a Democrat. \u201cOur review of the activities of the company, and its subsidiary Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s, found they engaged in BDS activities under our pension fund\u2019s policy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In August, franchise owners also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/backlash-from-inside-ben-jerrys-franchisees-losing-money-want-israel-boycott-gone\">asked<\/a> Ben &amp; Jerry\u2019s to rescind the boycott.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a danger that the pursuit of social justice will descend into political correctness or result in the adoption of overly simplistic solutions by people who share a single view of the world that misconstrue complex problems in which multiple claims of justice are implicated,\u201d the letter stated. \u201cThe imposition of such narrow prescriptions does not advance social justice or the pursuit of a values-led business in any meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\">LAST CHANCE to SAVE 50% on memberships to The Daily Wire with code DW50. Without our members, none of this would be possible. Join us to keep the mission alive.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\">member<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four members of the House of Representatives asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to examine Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s halt on ice cream sales in certain parts of Israel.As The Daily Wire reported earlier this year, Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s \u2014 which often endorses left-leaning policies \u2014 decided to stop selling its products in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The company, wholly owned by Unilever yet retaining its own Board of Directors, said that it is \u201cinconsistent with our values\u201d to sell in \u201cOccupied Palestinian Territory.\u201dThe letter to SEC chairman Gary Gensler \u2014 signed by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) \u2014 argued that the company\u2019s policy is inconsistent with many state laws:We have been informed that, Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s has halted the sale of its products in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We also understand that the actions by Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s disregards numerous United States\u2019 state laws, which requires a state to divest from companies that participate in such boycotts. To date, Arizona, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas have taken steps to divest of Unilever\u2019s common shares. Additionally, 30 other states have enacted \u201canti-BDS\u201d laws, all of which may consider divestiture in response to public appeal.The lawmakers also noted that Unilever\u2019s federal filings neglected to acknowledge the business risks of divesting from certain parts of Israel:It is also our understanding that Unilever may have violated Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 relating to material omissions in the 6-K. Given the potential negative impact of such material omissions, which is why we believe the SEC should ask Unilever to revise the \u201cPrincipal Risk Factors\u201d section of their 6-K to fully and accurately disclose the potential material adverse consequences to the company based by the claimed independence of the Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s Board of Directors, and the specific potential effects of the Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s boycott.We have also been informed that the 6-K filed by Unilever fails to include specific language that details the potential adverse consequences to Unilever created by the Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s boycott in its \u201cPrincipal Risk Factors\u201d section.Indeed, New York\u2019s Common Retirement Fund announced in October that it would jettison its $111 million in Unilever holdings.\u201cAfter a thorough review, the New York State Common Retirement Fund will divest its equity holdings in Unilever PLC,\u201d said New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a Democrat. \u201cOur review of the activities of the company, and its subsidiary Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s, found they engaged in BDS activities under our pension fund\u2019s policy.\u201dIn August, franchise owners also asked Ben &#038; Jerry\u2019s to rescind the boycott.\u201cThere is a danger that the pursuit of social justice will descend into political correctness or result in the adoption of overly simplistic solutions by people who share a single view of the world that misconstrue complex problems in which multiple claims of justice are implicated,\u201d the letter stated. \u201cThe imposition of such narrow prescriptions does not advance social justice or the pursuit of a values-led business in any meaningful way.\u201dLAST CHANCE to SAVE 50% on memberships to The Daily Wire with code DW50. Without our members, none of this would be possible. Join us to keep the mission alive.The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1065036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1065036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1065036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1065036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1065036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1065036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1065036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}