Ben & Jerry’s defies Unilever, brands Israeli war on Gaza genocide
5 Min Read
The ice cream brand’s board reignites tensions with Unilever as it defends its social mission and takes a rare corporate stand on the Israeli war on Gaza.
-
Pedestrians walk on Church St., past the Ben & Jerry's shop, in Burlington, Vt, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. (AP)
The independent board of Ben & Jerry’s has unequivocally labeled the Israeli war on Gaza a genocide, reaffirming the brand’s commitment to human rights and exposing Unilever’s reluctance to confront growing international condemnation of Israeli atrocities.
In a declaration obtained by Reuters, the board asserted, “Ben & Jerry’s believes in human rights and advocates for peace, and we join with those around the world who denounce the genocide in Gaza. We stand with all who raise their voices against genocide in Gaza — from petition-signers to street marchers to those risking arrest.”
The statement marks one of the strongest political positions taken by a US-based corporation since the start of the war on Gaza and reignites tensions over Ben & Jerry’s corporate activism on Gaza, which has repeatedly put it at odds with Unilever leadership.
Unilever distances itself from Ben & Jerry's
In response, Unilever moved to distance itself from the Ben & Jerry’s Gaza genocide statement, emphasizing that the views expressed belong solely to the independent board. “These statements reflect the views of the independent social mission board of Ben & Jerry’s, and they do not speak for anyone other than themselves,” a company spokesperson told Reuters. “We call for peace in the region and for relief for all those whose lives have been impacted.”
This comes shortly after Ben Cohen, co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested on May 15 after disrupting a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in protest of the US's role in the genocide in Gaza.
Cohen was among seven protesters detained by police after shouting during the hearing.
During the protest, some attendees shouted phrases such as "RFK kills people with AIDs!" and "When Bobby lies, children die," targeting Kennedy's vaccine views.
Police quickly intervened and began removing the protesters from the room.
Read next: Unilever freezes Ben & Jerry's directors' salaries in anti-BDS move
Ice cream brand’s activism reignites legal dispute
It is worth mentioning that Ben & Jerry's has a long history of standing with Palestine against the Israeli occupation and its aggression campaigns. Last year in November, the company filed a complaint on November 14, accusing its parent company, Unilever, of withholding its support for Palestinian refugees and threatening to disband its board and prosecute its members over the matter.
The lawsuit was the latest manifestation of long-standing disputes between Ben & Jerry's and consumer goods company Unilever since 2021, when Ben & Jerry's announced that it would stop selling its goods in the Israeli-occupied West Bank because it was contradictory to its beliefs, prompting some investors to liquidate Unilever stock.
The ice cream producer then sued Unilever for transferring its business in "Israel" to a local licensee, allowing marketing in the West Bank and "Israel" to continue. The lawsuit was resolved in 2022.
Read next: Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever ousted CEO over pro-Palestine views
In its latest case, Ben & Jerry's claims that Unilever violated the conditions of the 2022 deal, which have remained undisclosed. According to the complaint, Unilever is bound by the agreement to "respect and acknowledge the independent board's primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry's social mission."
"Ben & Jerry's has on four occasions attempted to publicly speak out in support of peace and human rights," as per the complaint. "Unilever has silenced each of these efforts."
Ben & Jerry's stated in the lawsuit that it has attempted to call for a ceasefire, support the safe passage of Palestinian refugees to Britain, support students protesting civilian deaths in Gaza, and advocate for a halt in US military aid to "Israel" but has been blocked by Unilever.
Merger terms at heart of Ben & Jerry’s autonomy claims
At the core of the dispute is the degree of operational autonomy granted to Ben & Jerry’s under the terms of its merger with Unilever. The brand argues that the contract specifically shielded its board’s right to act independently on social justice issues. Unilever, meanwhile, has sought to curtail that autonomy amid pressure from investors and public criticism over Ben & Jerry’s increasingly outspoken political positions.
The legal case is ongoing, with Unilever filing a motion to dismiss and pressing forward with plans to spin off its entire ice cream division, including Ben & Jerry’s, into a separate entity by this summer.
The rare public condemnation of Israeli actions by a prominent American company has reignited debate over the role of corporations in global human rights advocacy. While other firms have faced internal pressure to take stronger positions on the Israeli war on Gaza, few have issued such direct language, let alone branded it a genocide.
With the Israeli genocide in Gaza continuing to escalate and global scrutiny of "Israel’s" conduct intensifying, Ben & Jerry’s board's human rights stance is likely to remain a flashpoint, both within Unilever and across broader corporate circles.
Read next: Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing
