Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against their parent company, Unilever, on July 5 for ending the ice cream company’s Israel boycott on June 29.
The lawsuit alleges that Unilever violated their merger agreement stating that Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board (which voted 5-2 in favor of suing Unilever) has full autonomy in engaging in political activism and Unilever made the decision without consulting Ben & Jerry’s. Ben & Jerry’s is requesting an injunction against Unilever renewing its contract with its licensee, American Quality Products (AQP) to distribute their product in Israel and the West Bank. Ben Cohen, one of the co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s, expressed support for the ice cream giant’s lawsuit against Unilever and the boycott, according to The Times of Israel.
Alyza D. Lewin, President of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and represents Zinger and AQP, said in a statement that Unilever’s decision is “a done deal.” “Unilever chose the morally correct, socially just and principled path when it ensured that Ben & Jerry’s ice cream would always continue to be produced and sold in Israel and the West Bank,” Lewin said. “Avi Zinger stands arm in arm with Unilever and commends Unilever’s decision to forcefully defend its agreement with him.”
Other Jewish groups also expressed support for Unilever on the matter.
“What a joke,” the Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted. “The only ones undermining the integrity of the @benandjerrys brand is the current Israel-hating propagandizing Ben and Jerry’s board. Kudos to @Unilever for doing the right thing.”
What a joke. The only ones undermining the integrity of the @benandjerrys brand is the current Israel-hating propagandizing Ben and Jerry’s board. Kudos to @Unilever for doing the right thing. https://t.co/1tPWq44T3m
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) July 5, 2022
Human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky, who heads the International Legal Forum, similarly tweeted: “I think @benandjerrys have done a pretty good job themselves, undermining the integrity of their brand, by pursuing this racist, discriminatory and bigoted boycott campaign against #Israel.”
Oh, I think @benandjerrys have done a pretty good job themselves, undermining the integrity of their brand, by pursuing this racist, discriminatory and bigoted boycott campaign against #Israel.https://t.co/gGpTylmQBb
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 6, 2022
Writer Melissa Braunstein tweeted, “Ben & Jerry’s wants you to know they weren’t bowing to [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] activists last year. They are the activists.”
Ben & Jerry's wants you to know they weren't bowing to BDS activists last year. They are the activists. https://t.co/OHhg3hTOic
— Melissa Braunstein (@slowhoneybee) July 5, 2022
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.