- Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against its parent company, Unilever, on Thursday.
- It claims Unilever stopped it from making 4 public statements supporting Palestinians.
- Unilever rejected the claims, saying it would defend its case “very strongly.”
Ben & Jerry’s is taking legal action against its parent company, Unilever, saying it was prevented from speaking out in support of Palestinians.
In a lawsuit filed on Thursday in the US Southern District of New York, the ice cream brand said its parent company blocked four statements.
Ben & Jerry’s said that in doing so, Unilever repeatedly prevented the company from fulfilling its social mission and breached a settlement agreement.
The suit is a telling clash between Ben and Jerry’s, which has long been politically outspoken, and its huge multinational owner, which generally keeps politics at arm’s length.
Unilever said it rejected the claims, saying in a statement sent to Business Insider: “We will defend our case very strongly.”
Here are the posts from the lawsuit:
December 2023: Cease-fire call
Ben & Jerry’s claims it told Unilever in December 2023 that they planned on issuing a statement calling for peace and a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
At the time, Israel was several weeks into its sprawling invasion of Gaza, retaliation for the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.
“Ben & Jerry’s calls for peace and a permanent and immediate,” the statement read.
May 2024: Visas for refugees
Ben & Jerry’s tried to issue another statement in May 2024 through its social activism managers in Europe. This one called for a legal immigration pathway to the UK for Palestinians fleeing the war in Gaza, the lawsuit said.
“Just like the UK did for Ukrainians, we ask that the Government urgently create a visa scheme allowing Palestinians to reunite SAFELY with their loved ones in the UK,” the statement said.
June 2024: Supporting campus protests
Ben & Jerry’s said it intended to support pro-Palestine college protesters across the US by posting a public statement in June.
It said the post would support their First Amendment rights, but the lawsuit did not include its text.
September 2024: Backing Bernie Sanders
In September, Ben & Jerry sought to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders’ resolution calling for legislation blocking $20 billion in arms sales to Israel.
“We urge you to join us in calling on the Senate to pass the Sanders resolution and halt an additional $20 billion in military aid to Israel,” the statement said.
