JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Unilever on Wednesday sold its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream business in Israel to its local licensee for an undisclosed sum, aiming to smooth over a potentially damaging diplomatic row. The deal comes after the U.S. ice cream brand announced last year it would stop marketing products in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying that selling there was “inconsistent” with its values. The episode highlighted the challenges facing consumer groups taking a stand on Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians, such as the San Francisco-based Airbnb, which in 2019 reversed its decision…