Ben & Jerry's, Israel/Palestine, and Free Speech w/ Ret. Maj. Danny Sjursen

On this edition of Parallax Views, the Vermont-based ice cream company Ben and Jerry's has recently caused a bit of an uproar over its decision to stop selling its product in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This has cause current Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu to speak out. Additionally politicians in the U.S., from Oklahoma to Texas, are calling for the banning of Ben and Jerry's.

It may seem like a frivolous issue, but returning  Parallax Views guest Ret. Maj. Danny Sjursen argues there's serious issues underneath the Ben and Jerry's row over issues related to human rights and Israel/Palestine. At the forefront of this is BDS (Boycot, Divestment, and Sanctions) and the free speech issues arising from anti-BDS laws in over 30 states in the U.S. Danny and I discuss the Ben & Jerry's fiasco, the BDS movement and anti-BDS laws, and the continued debates about Israel/Palestine, the question of apartheid, and human rights abuses in the Occupied territories. Danny also argues that the current relationship between the U.S. and Israel has become toxic and is not beneficial to either country. Read more about Danny's thoughts on the Ben & Jerry's/Israel fiasco in his article "Israel Screams for Ice Cream: The Minutiae and Madness of a Toxic Relationship".