Ben & Jerry’s claims parent company censorship over Gaza

Nov. 17 (UPI) — Ben & Jerry’s, the Vermont-based maker of popular ice creams, has sued its parent company, Unilever, for what it says is censorship over its views supporting Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The complaint was filed Wednesday in federal court in New York and alleges that the conglomerate — which also makes household items, drinks and personal care items — threatened to dismantle Ben & Jerry’s independent board, sue board members, intimidate personnel and censor the company “from publicly voicing support for peace and refugee rights.”

Ben & Jerry’s argues those actions would violate Unilever’s contractual obligations with them.

This is not the first time the popular ice cream maker has sued its parent company. Ben & Jerry’s also filed suit against Unilever in 2021 to prevent sales in the occupied West Bank.

Unilever has said it wants to remain “neutral” on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But Bennett Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the Jewish cofounders of the ice cream giant, have long been critical of Israel’s policies regarding Palestinians and the outsize influence of the AIPAC in the U.S.

The mayor of the New Jersey town where Unilever is headquartered criticized Ben & Jerry’s in 2021 for saying it would stop selling ice cream in the West Bank to boycott Israeli settlements.

In July 2022, Unilever announced it was selling its interest in the ice cream maker to its Israeli licensee, which would market Ben & Jerry’s products with Hebrew and Arabic labels in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which are under illegal Israeli occupation.

Ben & Jerry’s tried to block the plan in court but failed. The two sides eventually agreed on a plan for Unilever to keep the ice cream maker.

Earlier this year, Unilever laid off 7,500 employees when it said it would separate its ice cream division.

Unilever bought Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 and when it did, under the acquisition deal, agreed to let its independent board continue to oversee the brand and image. That included establishing ground rules for the company’s social activism.

Ben & Jerry’s is widely known for supporting progressive causes, including social and economic justice issues, human rights and environmental protections.

“We believe that ice cream can change the world,” Ben & Jerry’s website says.

“We have a progressive, nonpartisan social mission that seeks to meet human needs and eliminate injustices in our local, national, and international communities by integrating these concerns in our day-to-day business activities.”