In a recent development, the ongoing internal dispute within the board of Ben & Jerry’s has escalated as three board members were removed. The move came after a series of disagreements over the company’s decision to stop selling ice cream in Israeli-occupied territories.
The three board members, who have been vocal critics of the company’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, were reportedly ousted during a board meeting held on Tuesday at the company’s headquarters in Vermont. The names of the removed members have not been disclosed.
Ben & Jerry’s controversial decision to halt sales in the occupied Palestinian territories last year sparked backlash from various groups, including pro-Israeli organizations and politicians. Critics accused the company of siding with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which advocates for putting economic pressure on Israel to change its policies towards the Palestinians.
In response to the removal of the board members, a spokesperson for Ben & Jerry’s stated that the decision was made in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. The spokesperson emphasized that the board’s composition is regularly reviewed to ensure alignment with the company’s values and objectives.
The ousted board members have not issued any public statements following their removal, and their motives for opposing the company’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remain unclear.
The latest development highlights the deepening divide within Ben & Jerry’s governance structure and raises questions about the company’s future direction amidst ongoing controversy and internal discord. The repercussions of these internal tensions on the company’s operations and reputation are yet to be seen, as stakeholders continue to monitor the situation closely.
—
Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Ben & Jerry’s row deepens as three board members removed”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.