Unilever Resolves Litigation With Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board Over Israel Dispute
by Andrew Bernard
The Unilever corporation on Thursday announced that it had resolved its ongoing litigation with the independent board of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream over the sale of the ice cream’s distribution rights in Israel.
“Unilever is pleased to announce that the litigation with Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board has been resolved,” the company said in a one-sentence statement.
Reached for comment by The Algemeiner, a spokesperson for Unilever said that the terms of the settlement were confidential.
Ben & Jerry’s had been engaged in an unusual court battle with its own parent company, Unilever, since Unilever sold its business interests in Ben & Jerry’s in Israel to their Israeli licensee, businessman Avi Zinger, in June 2022.
In a statement, Zinger welcomed the settlement.
“I am pleased that the litigation between Unilever and the independent Board of Ben & Jerry’s has been resolved,” Zinger said. “There is no change to the agreement I made with Unilever earlier in the year. I look forward to continuing to produce and sell the great tasting Ben & Jerry’s ice cream under the Hebrew and Arabic trademarks throughout Israel and the West Bank long into the future.”
The sale to Zinger was prompted by Ben & Jerry’s decision to halt ice cream sales in the West Bank, which the company calls “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” claiming that such sales are inconsistent with its values. A federal judge rejected Ben & Jerry’s suit in August, but the company had been in the process of amending the suit prior to Thursday’s announcement that the matter has been resolved.
This is a developing story. The Algemeiner will provide updates as we learn more.