A co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has skewered the brand’s current owner, alleging it blocked a flavour being produced in support of Gaza to take part in the ‘corporate butt kissing’ of US President Donald Trump instead.
On Tuesday 28 October, Ben Cohen, 74, announced he would be creating a watermelon sorbet-themed ice cream flavour, and that he wanted fans to suggest ingredients and design packaging.
The Guardian reported that the Ben & Jerry’s independent board approved the special tub and first mooted it about a year ago.
Unilever, which purchased Ben & Jerry’s from Cohen and business partner Jerry Greenfield, 74, in 2000, is alleged to have ‘silenced’ the brand’s attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees, as reported by the Combat Antisemitism Movement.
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A lawsuit filed against Unilever claimed it had blocked Cohen and Greenfield’s business from advocating for Gaza and even threatened legal action against board members.
A spokesperson for the Magnum Ice Cream Company, Unilever's ice cream arm, confirmed it had not gone ahead with the product, determining that ‘now is not the right time to invest in development’, as per the BBC.
Co-founder Greenfield resigned in the wake of this reported ‘silencing’. Cohen, meanwhile, confirmed he’d still develop the Palestine-inspired sweet treat, but under his Ben’s Best brand instead.
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The ice cream pot would not be for sale, instead acting as a catalyst for ‘rebuilding, peace and dignity for the people of the region’.
“We must keep using our voice when Ben & Jerry’s can’t — to secure peace, justice, and dignity in Palestine,” the ice cream maker wrote in an Instagram post, followed by the hashtag Free Ben and Jerrys.
In an interview with The Guardian, the New York City native said the alleged flavour block was nothing more than a ‘corporate attack on free speech’.
He claimed now was the time for ‘companies and anyone who believes in justice, freedom and peace’ to ‘stand up'.
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The businessman also accused Unilever of being part of the movement of ‘corporate butt kissing’ the 79-year-old President of the United States.
“This is the moment when it is most needed for Ben & Jerry’s to be able to raise its voice.
“It seems like since Trump got elected anything that Trump is against, DEI, black history, protesters’ rights to free speech, all those things got censored,” he lamented.
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Magnum has confirmed that Ben & Jerry’s focus remains on ‘campaigns close to its communities’, including improved conditions in refugee accommodation in the UK, the outlet reported.
“We remain committed to Ben & Jerry’s unique three-part mission – product, economic and social – and look forward to building on its success as an iconic, much-loved brand,” a spokesperson added.
Unilever added that it has always ‘sought to work constructively with the Ben & Jerry’s teams’, making sure all parties ‘stayed true to the original agreement around the progressive, non-partisan social mission’.
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In the past, Ben & Jerry’s has released dedicated flavours of ice cream in an attempt to ‘push for progressive change on society’s most important issues through awareness and activism.’
These include the climate-conscious Save Our Swirled, I Dough, I Dough, which celebrated the Supreme Court’s monumental 2015 decision in favour of marriage equality, and Empower Mint, marking the anniversary of ending segregation in the school system.
Home Sweet Honeycomb was also developed to drive awareness of legislation allowing refugees to safely settle into Europe, while One Sweet World sent a portion of all proceeds to the Poor People’s Campaign.
FOODbible has contacted Unilever for further comment.
Topics: Ben and Jerry's, Ice Cream, US Food
Ella Scott