Ben & Jerry’s has sued its parent company Unilever to prevent the sale of its Israeli business to a local licensee which defies the ice cream brand’s values.
Unilever’s controversial move would allow the sale of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on illegally occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank, with the business and related trademarks transferred to Avi Zinger, who runs American Quality Products.
The complaint filed in the US district court in Manhattan said the sale announced on 29 June threatened to undermine the integrity of the Ben & Jerry’s brand – which has been independent since Unilever acquired the company in 2000.
READ MORE: Ben & Jerry’s forced to end Israel boycott
Ben & Jerry’s has described the lawsuit as essential to “protect the brand and social integrity Ben & Jerry’s has spent decades building”.
According to the ice cream brand, its board voted 5-2 to sue with the two votes dissenting coming from Unilever appointees.
The dispute highlights the challenges facing FMCG brands taking an ethical stand against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank – which most countries consider illegal.
In May, Israel approved another 2,700 housing units in illegal settlements in the occupied region and advanced plans for another 1,600.
Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, approximately 600,000 to 750,000 Jewish settlers have moved to live on land in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank. As a result, many Palestinians live under constant threat of eviction as well as settler violence designed to displace them.
However, Israel condemned the move with some Jewish groups accusing Ben & Jerry’s of antisemitism. Some investors including seven US states have also divested their Unilever holdings.
Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who are both no longer involved in operations but have stated that supported Israel but opposed its “illegal occupation” of the West Bank.
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