Ben & Jerry’s has filed a lawsuit against Unilever, claiming its parent company “threatened to dismantle its board and sue its members” if the brand spoke out in support of Palestine, CNN reported.
In the recent lawsuit, Ben & Jerry’s claims that Unilever has breached the terms of a 2022 settlement. The popular ice cream brand previously sued the consumer goods company for breaching its 2000 merger agreement and allowing for the marketing and sales of Ben & Jerry’s products in Israel, despite disapproval from the brand. As part of the settlement, Unilever is required to “respect and acknowledge the Ben & Jerry’s independent board’s primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry’s social mission,” the lawsuit specifies per CNN.
“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.”
Specifically, the brand 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,” CNN outlined. Their attempts have all been silenced by Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s states in its lawsuit.
In response to the recent legal action, Unilever told the outlet in an email statement: “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,” it added.
Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Ben & Jerry’s says its independent board was also silenced by Unilever. Unilever’s head of ice cream, Peter ter Kulve, said he was worried about the “continued perception of anti-Semitism” in connection to the brand’s stance on Gaza, per the suit.
The lawsuit adds that Unilever rejected Ben & Jerry’s selections of human rights groups to make donations to. The company took issue with the Jewish Voice for Peace, saying the organization was “too critical of the Israeli government,” according to the lawsuit.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $115,000 in one-time donations and to add 1365 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy