{"id":119998,"date":"2025-03-23T17:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-23T15:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=119998"},"modified":"2025-03-23T15:08:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T13:08:13","slug":"23-00-105","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=119998","title":{"rendered":"Ben & Jerry\u2019s Accuses Parent Company Unilever of Firing CEO Over Political Posts, Anti-Israel Activism"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>Ben & Jerry\u2019s Accuses Parent Company Unilever of Firing CEO Over Political Posts, Anti-Israel Activism<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

Shiryn Ghermezian<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Tubs of ice cream are seen as a laborer works at a Ben & Jerry\u2019s factory in Be\u2019er Tuvia, Israel, July 20, 2021. Photo: REUTERS\/Ronen Zvulun<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben & Jerry\u2019s has accused parent company Unilever of firing its CEO in retaliation for the ice cream producer\u2019s political activism on social media, which includes calling for a permanent ceasefire to end the Israel-Hamas war.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben & Jerry\u2019s \u2014 which was founded in 1978 by Jewish childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield \u2014 and five directors of its independent board filed a lawsuit against Unilever and its US subsidiary, the New York-based corporation Conopco, in federal court in November 2024, claiming the companies are censoring its public advocacy. The ice-cream maker accused Unilever, a conglomerate based in London, and Conopco of violating its 2000 merger agreement, which created the independent board and gave it \u201cprimary responsibility for Social Mission Priorities and the Essential Integrity of the Brand.\u201d Ben & Jerry\u2019s has a history of outspoken advocacy on topics of social justice and human rights, including climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, and Black Lives Matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Vermont-based ice cream company filed an\u00a0amended complaint<\/a>\u00a0in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday that accused Unilever and Conopco of continuing to censor its political posts on social media. In one recent instance, Ben & Jerry\u2019s said Unilever \u201cblocked\u201d the company from posting a message in solidarity with pro-Hamas activist and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. Ben & Jerry\u2019s wanted to write in support of free speech and link to a petition for Khalil\u2019s release after he was\u00a0arrested earlier this month by US authorities<\/a>\u00a0in accordance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump cracking down on campus antisemitism and supporters of terrorist groups. Khalil\u2019s deportation is pending a legal challenge by his lawyers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben & Jerry\u2019s also claimed Unilever stopped it from posting in December 2023 in support of a ceasefire to end the Israel-Hamas war that started two months earlier, after the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel. Unilever also allegedly stopped Ben & Jerry\u2019s from posting on social media in support of Palestinian refugees in May 2024 because of the inappropriate timing of the message, since it would have coincided with an Iranian missile attack on Israel. Another claim is that Unilever did not let Ben & Jerry\u2019s post in support of\u00a0anti-Israel campus protests<\/a>, which often turned violent, and their First Amendment rights in June 2024. Unilever\u2019s response was that it had \u201creasonable concerns about the need to condemn the violence associated with the protests and support rights of Jewish students as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnilever\u2019s suppression of Ben & Jerry\u2019s Social Mission has reached startling new levels of oppressiveness,\u201d Ben & Jerry\u2019s stated in its updated complaint this week. It also claimed Unilever was waging a \u201ccampaign of professional reprisals,\u201d which led to the firing of Ben & Jerry\u2019s CEO David Stever, who assumed the position in May 2023 after being a longtime tour guide for the company. Under Stever\u2019s leadership, the company \u201coutperformed Unilever\u2019s ice cream portfolio\u201d and was ranked #2 on the Brand 500 Authenticity Index in 2023 and 2024, according to Ben & Jerry\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cContrary to their obligations under Section 6.14, Unilever has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry\u2019s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever\u2019s efforts to silence the Social Mission. This month \u2026 Unilever followed through with their threats,\u201d the lawsuit further stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben & Jerry\u2019s said Unilever informed its board of directors about Stever\u2019s firing on March 3, without following protocol outlined in the merger agreement, which says Unilever must consult with an advisory committee from the board before making decisions about the removal of a CEO. Ben & Jerry\u2019s is accusing Unilever of removing Stever because of his \u201ccommitment to Ben & Jerry\u2019s Social Mission and Essential Brand Integrity and his willingness to collaborate in good faith with the Independent Board, rather than any genuine concerns regarding his performance history.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnilever has repeatedly failed to recognize and respect the Independent Board\u2019 primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry\u2019s Social Mission and Brand Integrity, including threatening Ben & Jerry\u2019s personnel should the company speak out regarding issues\u00a0which that<\/span>\u00a0Unilever prefers to censor,\u201d stated the amended complaint this week.\u00a0The lawsuit alleges that Unilever executives previously criticized Stever in his January 2025 performance review for \u201crepeatedly acquiesce[ing] to the demands of the Independent Social Mission Board\u201d by permitting certain social media posts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben & Jerry\u2019s wants the court to order Unilever to \u201cprospectively respect and acknowledge\u201d its independent board and its authority. It also wants Unilever to comply with the merger agreement and its policy regarding the appointment and firing of a CEO.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben & Jerry\u2019s also claimed in its lawsuit this week that Unilever has violated its settlement agreement with the ice cream company by blocking its donations to two anti-Israel organizations:\u00a0Jewish Voice for Peace<\/a>\u00a0and the Council on American Islamic Relations last year. Ben & Jerry\u2019s is asking the court to order Unilever to pay the company $5 million that it will then disbursement to human rights and humanitarian organizations of its choosing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unilever defended itself by saying that it \u201cexercised its right to withhold consent to donate\u201d after researching JVP and CAIR, and discovering that both groups have made \u201cmade inflammatory comments<\/a>\u201d about the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A plaintiff included in the lawsuit against Unilever is Anuradha Mittal, chairman of Ben & Jerry\u2019s independent board of directors. When\u00a0Bloomberg News<\/em>\u00a0previously visited her office, it reported that it is decorated with a \u201cFree Palestine\u201d placard and a poster of two Palestinian men embracing next to a barbed wire fence. The poster included a message in Arabic that said, \u201cSupport the Intifada.\u201d In 2018, on Israel\u2019s Independence Day, Mittal tweeted, \u201cThe catastrophe continues #Nakba70 years later #palestine bleeds Boycott Divest Sanctions #israel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Unilever filed a\u00a0motion to dismiss<\/a>\u00a0Ben and Jerry\u2019s complaint. The British conglomerate claimed in part that Ben & Jerry\u2019s independent board members do not have the right to bring lawsuits on behalf of the company. Also, Ben & Jerry\u2019s did not allege that it suffered any damages as a result of Unilever\u2019s alleged breach of the settlement agreement, Unilever added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unilever noted that its issues with Ben & Jerry\u2019s are a \u201cdirect result\u201d of the board\u2019s decision to get involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and share its opinions so publicly \u201cwithout any regard to the negative impact\u201d on both companies. Unilever insisted that if anything, Ben & Jerry\u2019s decision in 2021 to stop selling its products in Israeli territories resulted in \u201csevere consequences\u201d for both companies.<\/span><\/p>\n

In July 2020, Ben & Jerry\u2019s independent board unanimously passed a resolution to end distribution of Ben & Jerry\u2019s products in eastern Jerusalem and in the West Bank. The company made the\u00a0announcement<\/a>\u00a0a year later in July 2021, saying in a released statement: \u201cWe believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry\u2019s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The announcement led to \u201cmultiple lawsuits\u201d in the US and Israel targeting Unilever for being in violation of laws against the anti-Israel\u00a0boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement<\/a>, as well as accusations of antisemitism, \u201csevere\u201d sanctions, and the divestment of \u201chundreds of millions of dollars\u201d in Unilever\u2019s stock, Unilever claimed in its motion to dismiss on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnilever \u2026 continues \u2014 to this day \u2014 to suffer the consequences of that decision. B&J\u2019s and\/or Unilever still remain on at least nine states\u2019 anti-BDS lists and Indonesia has a \u2018fatwah\u2019 on Unilever. These are just two examples of the world-wide response to the Board\u2019s decision that have negatively impacted B&J\u2019s and Unilever,\u201d the company stated. \u201cUnilever continues to support B&J\u2019s and its social advocacy work. Over time, the social mission of B&J\u2019s shifted, but in recent years it has come to a head as B&J\u2019s seeks to advocate for one-sided, highly controversial, and polarizing topics that put Unilever, B&J\u2019s, and their employees at risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2022, Unilever sold its Ben & Jerry\u2019s property rights to a\u00a0local distributor in Israel<\/a>, who resumed selling the ice cream products in eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank with Hebrew and Arabic labeling. Ben & Jerry\u2019s sued Unilever for its actions. The 2022 lawsuit ended with a settlement agreement that requires Unilever to \u201crespect and acknowledge the Ben & Jerry\u2019s Independent Board\u2019s primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry\u2019s Social Mission and Essential Brand Integrity\u201d and \u201cwork in good faith with the Independent Board to ensure that both are protected and furthered.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Ben & Jerry\u2019s Accuses Parent Company Unilever of Firing CEO Over Political Posts, Anti-Israel Activism Shiryn Ghermezian Tubs of ice cream are seen as a laborer works at a Ben & Jerry\u2019s factory in Be\u2019er Tuvia, Israel, July 20, 2021. Photo: REUTERS\/Ronen Zvulun Ben & Jerry\u2019s has accused parent company Unilever of firing its CEO […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[26,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119998"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=119998"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120012,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119998\/revisions\/120012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=119998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=119998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=119998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}