Unilever PLC said it has sold its Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel to the local licensee, seeking to end a controversy that has buffeted the company since last year, when the brand said it would stop selling its products in Jewish settlements located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested East Jerusalem.
The move is the latest development in a public rift between the ice-cream brand’s independent board and its corporate parent. It could relieve pressure Unilever has faced from politicians and investors over Ben & Jerry’s stance on the issue.
