Ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's filed a lawsuit against its parent consumer goods company, Unilever, on November 13, 2024, alleging that the conglomerate attempted to suppress them from expressing support for Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict.
The complaint, submitted to a federal court in New York, accused the parent company of breaching contractual responsibilities by attempting to undermine Ben & Jerry’s independent board and intimidating board members and staff, in addition to preventing the company from publicly advocating for peace and refugee rights.
The lawsuit was filed to protect Ben & Jerry’s social mission and integrity from the consumer goods company’s alleged overreach. However, the latter dismissed allegations from the ice cream company’s social mission board, asserting its intention to defend the case.
Unilever, which acquired the ice cream giant in 2000, distanced itself from the ice cream maker’s 2021 decision to cease sales in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The acquisition agreement had allowed Ben & Jerry’s independent board to oversee its social mission, including initiatives supporting racial justice, climate action, LGBTQ rights, and campaign finance reform.
In July 2022, the parent company announced the sale of its interest in Ben & Jerry’s to its Israeli licensee, permitting sales in East Jerusalem and the West Bank with Hebrew and Arabic labels. The ice company tried to stop the move legally but failed.
Following negotiations, a settlement agreement was reached requiring Unilever to honor the board's authority over the ice cream company’s social mission and brand integrity while collaborating in good faith.
However, according to the lawsuit, Unilever has restricted Ben & Jerry’s from making public statements on the Gaza conflict, including calls for peace, a ceasefire, support for student protests, and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
Unilever expressed sorrow for the war victims, rejecting Ben & Jerry’s claims
As per reports, a spokesperson from the parent company expressed condolences to the victims of the Middle East conflict and rejected the claims made by Ben & Jerry’s social mission board, emphasizing the company's intent to defend the case without further legal comments.
According to the lawsuit, Peter ter Kulve, Unilever's head of ice cream, reportedly voiced concerns about perceived anti-Semitism associated with the ice cream giant’s statements on Gazan refugees. As per the conditions of the settlement agreement, Unilever was mandated to pay $5 million to the ice cream company for donations to human rights organizations.
The ice cream giant selected groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. However, the parent company opposed some of the groups in August 2024 like the Jewish Voice for Peace as they mentioned it was allegedly critical of the Israel government.
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Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded the Vermont-based ice cream company in a converted gas station in 1978 to promote human rights and dignity. In 1978, the company maintained a socially conscious identity, a commitment it continued even after being acquired by the parent company in 2000.
In March 2024, Unilever announced plans to separate its ice cream division, including Ben & Jerry’s, by the end of 2025 to streamline its portfolio.
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