Ben & Jerry's accuses Unilever of silencing its Gaza stance
'Ben & Jerry’s has on four occasions attempted to publicly speak out in support of peace and human rights,' according to the lawsuit. 'Unilever has silenced each of these efforts.'
Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s said in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday that parent company Unilever has silenced its attempts to express support for Palestinians and threatened to dismantle its board and sue its members over the issue, reported Reuters.
“Ben & Jerry’s has on four occasions attempted to publicly speak out in support of peace and human rights,” according to the lawsuit. “Unilever has silenced each of these efforts.”
Ben & Jerry’s stated that it has tried to call for a ceasefire, support the safe passage of Palestinian refugees to Britain, back students protesting at U.S. colleges against civilian deaths in Gaza and advocate for a halt in U.S. military aid to Israel, but all these steps have been blocked by Unilever.
The development appears to be the latest sign of the long-simmering tensions between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever. A rift erupted back in 2021 after Ben & Jerry’s said it would stop selling in the West Bank over Israel's presence in the area. The move led some investors to divest Unilever shares.