In the U.S., there has been a long-running legal battle between Ben & Jerry’s and parent company Unilever over the ice cream maker’s progressive social activism.
Ben & Jerry’s previously filed a lawsuit against Unilever, accusing it of attempting to oust its former chief executive Dave Stever and its board over the ice cream maker’s vocal criticism of Israel and President Trump.
In a recent court filing, Unilever rejected the claims and sought to have the case dismissed, as it accused Ben & Jerry’s of pursuing a “staunchly pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli stance” that caused it to lose investors and tarred its reputation.
Unilever also claimed that Stever was offered a pay increase and a “prominent role in the larger global ice cream business”, but he chose to voluntarily resign on March 31 this year.
A lawyer for Ben & Jerry’s called Unilever’s claims “revisionism” and a “thinly-veiled attempt to save face.”
The American ice cream-maker Ben & Jerry’s announced on July 19, 2021 they would stop selling their ice cream in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying its sale “is inconsistent with our values.” In a statement, the Unilever subsidiary said they “hear and recognise the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners,” without elaborating.
