Ice cream maker is already in a legal dispute with parent company Unilever over its political activism Ben & Jerry\u2019s board said in a statement that the brand \u2018believes in human rights and advocates for peace, and we join with those around the world who denounce the genocide in Gaza\u2019 \u00a9 Jim Lo Scalzo\/EPA-EFE\/Shutterstock Ben & Jerry\u2019s calls Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza \u2018genocide\u2019 on x (opens in a new window) Ben & Jerry\u2019s calls Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza \u2018genocide\u2019 on facebook (opens in a new window) Ben & Jerry\u2019s calls Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza \u2018genocide\u2019 on linkedin (opens in a new window) Save current progress 96% Madeleine Speed PublishedMAY 30 2025 Print this page Unlock the Editor\u2019s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry\u2019s has called Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza genocide, a move that risks escalating a legal dispute with parent company Unilever over the brand\u2019s political activism. \u201cBen & Jerry\u2019s believes in human rights and advocates for peace, and we join with those around the world who denounce the genocide in Gaza,\u201d the company\u2019s independent board said in a statement shared with the Financial Times. The statement is likely to further fray relations between the ice cream maker and Unilever, which has owned the brand since 2000. Ben & Jerry\u2019s, which is due to be separated from Unilever as part of a spin-off of the group\u2019s ice cream business later this year, is suing its parent company for attempting to silence its activism on Gaza. In a series of legal complaints filed in a New York court, Ben & Jerry\u2019s has claimed that the consumer goods group is threatening to dismantle its independent board and has silenced the brand over its support for Palestinian refugees. Unilever has rejected the claims. As part of the $326mn sale of the brand to Unilever in 2000, the two sides reached an agreement that protects Ben & Jerry\u2019s independent board and its mandate to set the company\u2019s \u201csocial mission\u201d. Most recently, the board claimed that Unilever fired Ben & Jerry\u2019s chief executive after less than two years in the role after he failed to comply with efforts to stop the brand speaking out on political issues. Recommended John Gapper Ben & Jerry\u2019s fudge has come back to bite Unilever The legal dispute is the latest in a long-running spat between the brand and its owner over Israel and Palestine. In 2022, Ben & Jerry\u2019s sued Unilever for trying to block its attempts to discontinue sales of ice cream in occupied territories. \u201cWe stand with all who raise their voices against genocide in Gaza \u2014 from petition-signers to street marchers to those risking arrest,\u201d the board said in the statement. Unilever said it \u201csupports efforts for a peaceful resolution and the end of violence to conflicts around the world\u201d. \u201cUnilever is in litigation with the [Ben and Jerry\u2019s] Board and will not comment on its positions,\u201d it added. The separated ice cream company will be called The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Its primary listing will be in Amsterdam with further listings in London and New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n