Ben & Jerry’s has launched legal action against Unilever, accusing its parent company of trying to block the ice-cream brand from making public statements supporting Palestinian refugees in the conflict in Gaza.
The lawsuit also claims that Unilever has threatened to dismantle its board and sue directors over the issue.
Ben & Jerry’s, which has previously clashed with its parent company when it said it would stop selling its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said Unilever has breached the terms of a confidential settlement agreed in 2022.
Unilever subsequently sold Ben & Jerry’s Israel division to a local operation, prompting the ice-cream maker to sue its parent company before reaching the settlement two years ago.
The new lawsuit claims that Unilever breached the agreement to “respect and acknowledge the Ben & Jerry’s independent board’s primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry’s social mission”, adding: “Ben & Jerry’s has on four occasions attempted to publicly speak out in support of peace and human rights.”
Ben & Jerry’s said in the lawsuit that it has tried to call for a ceasefire, support the safe passage of Palestinian refugees to Britain, back students protesting at US colleges against civilian deaths in Gaza and advocate a halt to US military aid to Israel.
“Unilever has silenced each of these efforts,” Ben & Jerry’s said.
A Unilever spokesperson 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.”
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded the ice-cream company in Vermont in the US in 1978 with a mission to “advance human rights and dignity”.
Unilever acquired the business in 2000 but it is run autonomously by an independent board of directors, allowing it to campaign on social issues.
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In March, Unilever said it intended to sell off its ice-cream division, which also includes Wall’s and Magnum, by the end of next year.
In April, bosses at Unilever said Ben & Jerry’s campaigning was a “strength not a weakness”.