‘Lemme go buy some cookie dough right now:’ Ben & Jerry’s sues Unilever for alleged censorship over their pro-ceasefire stance

Ben & Jerry’s took to court against Unilever over alleged censorship.

The ice cream company is a subsidiary of Unilever but has an independent board of its own. In the lawsuit, Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever of intimidating personnel, censoring their support for Palestinian refugees, and threatening to dismantle their independent board of directors.

Unilever denies the allegations made by Ben & Jerry’s. “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.” When the Vermont-based ice cream company had a merger with Unilever, the agreement allowed Ben & Jerry’s to express and forward their social causes. Many are familiar with Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough-flavored ice cream and less about their social entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, the ice cream makers openly champion several causes on their company website. Several Twitter users were touched by Ben & Jerry’s advocacy for Palestinians. One wrote, “Oh, lemme go buy some cookie dough right now!” Others claimed they’ll only be eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from now on.

Declawing activism

Earlier this year, Ben & Jerry’s announced that they will no longer be selling their products in Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Instead of agreeing with Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever sold its distribution license to an Israeli firm. This means that Ben & Jerry’s ice cream will still be sold in OPTs against the independent board’s decision. Others interpret this move by Unilever as a punishment to Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) activism. BDS activists condemned Unilever’s decision, stating that the parent company should not undermine Ben & Jerry’s commitment. They praised Ben & Jerry’s for standing by their beliefs and resisting Israeli pressure. Unilever may attempt to stiffle the independent board’s wishes, but Ben & Jerry’s isn’t going down without a court battle.