Ben & Jerry’s has filed a new lawsuit against its parent company, Unilever, claiming the company silenced its attempts to support Palestinian refugees.
According to Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever even threatened to dismantle its board and take legal action against its members if they voiced their opinions.
This lawsuit marks another chapter in the ongoing tension between the two companies, which began in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s stopped selling ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, stating that it didn’t align with their values. This decision led some investors to pull out of Unilever stocks.
Ben & Jerry’s had previously sued Unilever for selling its Israeli business to a local licensee, allowing sales to continue in Israel and the West Bank. That case was settled in 2022, with Unilever agreeing to “respect and acknowledge Ben & Jerry’s board’s independence over its social mission.”
The recent lawsuit states Unilever has since violated that agreement. Ben & Jerry’s claims it has tried to call for peace, support refugee safety, back student protests, and urge a halt to U.S. military aid to Israel, but Unilever has blocked each attempt.
Unilever did not respond to the lawsuit, but Ben & Jerry’s notes Unilever expressed concerns about “anti-Semitism” over the ice cream brand’s stances. The suit also reveals that Unilever was required to pay $5 million for Ben & Jerry’s donations to human rights groups, though Unilever objected to some of the selected organizations, including Jewish Voice for Peace.
Ben & Jerry’s has always promoted social causes, a legacy started by founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978. Unilever, which acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, plans to spin off its ice cream division by 2025, which includes brands like Dove, Knorr, and Vaseline among its other products.
