The independent board of Ben & Jerry’s said the conflict in Gaza is a genocide, escalating a bitter feud between the ice cream maker and its longtime London-based corporate parent Unilever ULVR.L.
“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,” the board said in a statement viewed by Reuters. “We stand with all who raise their voices against genocide in Gaza – from petition-signers to street marchers to those risking arrest.”
Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at odds since at least 2021 when the Chubby Hubby ice cream maker said it would stop selling in the Israel-occupied West Bank. Ben & Jerry’s sued its owner last year over its alleged attempts to silence it on Gaza and criticism of US President Donald Trump.
A Unilever spokesperson said that the comments reflect the views of the independent social mission board of Ben & Jerry’s, and they do not speak for anyone other than themselves.
“We call for peace in the region and for relief for all those whose lives have been impacted,” the spokesperson said.
Unilever asked a US judge to dismiss Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit. The company is also in the process of separating out its ice cream business, including Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s, to an independent company this summer.
Ben & Jerry’s has said its merger agreement with Unilever in 2000 gave its independent board “primary responsibility” to pursue the company’s social mission. The crux of the dispute between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever is how much leeway the board actually has.
Earlier this month, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder, Ben Cohen, was arrested after confronting US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding aid be allowed into the besieged Gaza Strip.
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