Without consulting corporate headquarters, local franchise owner, Jason Gordon, is displaying a banner on his Ben & Jerry’s truck that has been situated in the parking lot of Royal Cafe, in Narberth. The banner depicts the flag of Israel and reads Ben & Jerry’s Philadelphia Stands With Israel. Gordon also owns Royal Cafe.
Ben & Jerry’s recently announced that they will no longer be doing business in what they call Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Gordon said that he has been a franchise owner for more than 20 years. In addition to the truck at Royal Cafe, he owns the Ben & Jerry’s stores at Penn Campus and at Rittenhouse Square.
“I am outraged at the extreme position that Ben & Jerry’s has taken,” Gordon said. “I think it borders on Anti-Semitism,” he added, “If they are so concerned about Israel, why haven’t they revoked any franchises in Crimea or in China?”
Gordon said that he and several other Ben & Jerry’s franchises are working on a letter that they plan to send to Corporate, expressing their dissatisfaction with their action against Avi Zinger, the Ben & Jerry licensee in Israel.
“Avi is a great guy,” Gordon said. “He employs Jews and Non-Jews alike. It’s a shame that between 100 and 150 of his employees will be losing their jobs over the next year.”