Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that parent company Unilever has silenced its attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees, and threatened to dismantle its board and sue its members over the issue.

The lawsuit is the latest sign of the long-simmering tensions between Ben & Jerry’s and consumer products maker Unilever. A rift erupted between the two in 2021 after Ben & Jerry’s said it would stop selling its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank because it was inconsistent with its values, a move that led some to divest Unilever shares.

The ice cream maker then sued Unilever for selling its business in Israel to its licensee there, which allowed marketing in the West Bank and Israel to continue. That lawsuit was settled in 2022.

  • Aurenkin
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    32
    ·
    edit-2
    7 days ago

    Oh really, how? I certainly haven’t heard almost nothing but that news for the past few months. Oh shit it’s only been a few days, it’s going to be a long fucking four years isn’t it.

    Anyway my point is it’s ok to have a little other news, you know, as a treat. Kind of like how you should be having ice cream.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      23
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 days ago

      Also, no one person should get to dictate what news is relevant.

      Someone who actually works for Unilever or is a Unilever supplier might not know about this and find it very relevant.

      • imPastaSyndrome@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        7 days ago

        It’s news to me and I’m also upset now that Ben& Jerry’s traditionally a fantastically protest full brand is being stopped in this one way. And also I didn’t know that they were the Unilever brand, so that’s new to me

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          7 days ago

          Exactly. I think it’s silly to assume people understand something just because you think everyone knows or it’s obvious.

          Not everyone knows and it’s not always obvious.

    • doeknius_gloek@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      7 days ago

      it’s ok to have a little other news, you know, as a treat. Kind of like how you should be having ice cream.

      How very 2024 that even these little other ice cream news are indirectly about the genocide in Gaza.