FMCG giant Unilever has dismissed Ben & Jerry’s claims that it has silenced the ice-cream group’s attempts to support Palestinian refugees in the Gaza conflict.
Reports from Reuters suggest Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit this week against Unilever, claiming its parent company has prevented it from speaking out on the war.
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According to a court filing viewed by the news agency, the ice-cream business said Unilever planned to shake up Ben & Jerry’s board and sue board members in connection with the matter.
In a statement sent to Just Food this morning (14 November), Unilever said: “Our heart goes out to all victims of the tragic events in the Middle East. We reject the claims made by B&J’s social mission board, and we will defend our case very strongly. We would not comment further on this legal matter.”
In its lawsuit, the ice-cream maker reportedly claimed Unilever had breached the terms of the two parties’ 2022 settlement, which requires the Knorr brand owner to “respect and acknowledge the Ben & Jerry’s independent board’s primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry’s social mission”.
Court documents cited by Reuters suggested: “Ben & Jerry’s has on four occasions attempted to publicly speak out in support of peace and human rights. Unilever has silenced each of these efforts.”
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By GlobalDataJust Food has asked Ben & Jerry’s for comment.
Unilever has had multiple spats with Ben & Jerry’s in the past two years over its operations in Israel and the West Bank.
In July 2022, the Cookie Dough ice-cream maker, acquired by Unilever in 2000, filed a claim against its owner over its decision to sell Ben & Jerry’s operations in Israel.
The case, filed in the US District Court in Manhattan, alleged the deal with Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products Ltd. (AQP), violated the original merger and shareholder agreement between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s.
In 2021, the Vermont-based ice-cream business announced it would stop selling its products in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which are claimed by Palestine but have been occupied by Israel since 1967.
At the time, the group said it thought selling its products in these areas to be “inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream”. The move brought about a backlash from the then Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
In July 2022, Ben & Jerry’s sued Conopco, a subsidiary of Unilever, according to media reports. The Phish Food maker sought a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction against Unilever. It also looked to prevent Unilever and any third parties from selling its ice cream in the West Bank.
Ben & Jerry’s reportedly lost its court bid to block the ice-cream sale the following month.
