The chief executive of Unilever on Thursday said the global consumer goods giant remains "fully committed" to doing business in Israel, distancing himself from this week's announcement by the company's Ben & Jerry's ice cream brand to stop serving Israel's West Bank settlements.
But CEO Alan Jope gave no indication that Unilever would force Ben & Jerry's to roll back its controversial decision.
In a conference call with investors, Jope said that Ben & Jerry's, which has a long history of social activism, had made the decision on its own.