Ben and Jerry's to Establish New, Larger Ice Cream Plant in Kiryat Gat

Ben and Jerry's Israel is set to open a new, expanded ice cream factory in Kiryat Gat in the south, complete with more storage space, a visitor's center, a flagship store, and a logistics center in 2026, according to Globes.

Ben and Jerry's had previously come under fire in the country and among Israel supporters when it announced that it would no longer sell its ice cream in Judea and Samaria due to this being inconsistent with its values. This action led to many official and unofficial protests and a media firestorm.

Its parent company Unilever ultimately resolved the issue by allowing local Ben and Jerry's franchisee owner Avi Zinger to sell Ben and Jerry's both inside and outside the Green Line in Hebrew and Arabic, which was seen as a victory against Palestinian efforts to isolate and economically cripple the country.

Zinger told Globes that although the price of every part of the Ben and Jerry's product had gone up thanks to inflation, the company's focus on cost efficiency measures ensures they will not have to raise prices in the short term.

He also said that many Americans come to visit the ice cream factory in Israel, intrigued by the original controversy, and that the brand is even more popular in Israel than in other countries because of the effort to keep it there.

According to Globes, the company sells about 50% of the family ice cream packages in Israel.