Ben & Jerry's Sues Parent Company, Claiming It is Blocking Its Efforts to Advocate for Palestinian Rights Amid Ongoing Gaza War

Ben & Jerry’s has filed a lawsuit against its parent company, Unilever, accusing the multinational of stifling its efforts to publicly support Palestinian refugees. 

The ice cream company claims Unilever threatened to dissolve its independent board and take legal action against its members over the matter.

The lawsuit alleges that Unilever blocked four separate attempts by Ben & Jerry’s to issue public statements criticizing the war in Gaza. These statements included calls for "peace and a permanent and immediate ceasefire," support for U.S. college students protesting the conflict, and a demand for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.

Ben & Jerry’s further claims that Peter ter Kulve, Unilever’s head of ice cream, raised concerns about the "continued perception of anti-Semitism" linked to the brand’s stance on Gazan refugees.

The lawsuit sheds light on the long-standing tensions between the two companies, which have been escalating since Ben & Jerry’s decision in 2021 to stop selling its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The ice cream maker stated the decision was aligned with its values, a move that led to some investors divesting from Unilever. Subsequently, Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever for selling its Israeli business to a local licensee, which allowed the continued sale of its products in Israel and the West Bank. The dispute was settled in 2022. 

Ben & Jerry’s now accuses Unilever of breaching the terms of their 2022 settlement, which included a requirement for Unilever to “respect and acknowledge the Ben & Jerry’s independent board’s primary responsibility over the brand’s social mission,” according to the lawsuit. 

As part of the settlement, Unilever was also required to pay $5 million to Ben & Jerry’s for donations to human rights organizations of the brand’s choosing. Ben & Jerry’s selected groups, such as the Jewish Voice for Peace and the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. However, in August, Unilever opposed the inclusion of Jewish Voice for Peace, citing the group’s criticism of the Israeli government, according to the lawsuit. 

In response, Unilever emailed a statement saying, “Our hearts go out to all victims of the tragic events in the Middle East. We reject the claims made by Ben & Jerry’s social mission board and will vigorously defend our position. We would not comment further on this legal matter."

The lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

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