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Palestinian Human Rights Activist Sues over Ben and Jerry's Boycott, Saying It Promotes Hatred
(New York Post) Isabel Vincent - Palestinian human rights activist Bassem Eid filed a complaint with New York state's Division of Human Rights last month against Conopco Inc., the U.S. division of Unilever that owns Ben & Jerry's, charging that its boycott in the West Bank is "counterproductive to peace and creates only more hatred, enmity and polarization." Eid said the boycott will have an adverse effect on the people it is trying to help. "I, as a Palestinian, as well as many of my friends, family and other Palestinians, are regular shoppers at the Gush Etzion commercial center" in the West Bank. "This shopping area is the true realization of coexistence, as both Jews and Muslims from both Israel and the Palestinian-controlled territories...work and shop here." "The gangsters behind the BDS [movement] are causing a lot of damage to the Palestinians," said Eid in an interview. "I want to raise awareness among the U.S. judicial system about how much damage they are causing. If they poured all of the money they are spending on boycotts into building factories and creating jobs in the West Bank and Gaza, it would go a long way to truly helping Palestinians."