NEW YORK: The independent board of Ben & Jerry’s said the conflict in Gaza is a genocide, escalating a bitter feud between the ice cream maker and its longtime London-based corporate parent Unilever.
“Ben & Jerry’s believes in human rights and advocates for peace, and we join with those around the world who denounce the genocide in Gaza,” the board said in a statement viewed by Reuters. “We stand with all who raise their voices against genocide in Gaza — from petition-signers to street marchers to those risking arrest.”
Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at odds since at least 2021 when the Chubby Hubby ice cream maker said it would stop selling in the Israel-occupied West Bank. Ben & Jerry’s sued its owner last year over its alleged attempts to silence it on Gaza and criticize US President Donald Trump. Its statement on Gaza is unusual for a major US brand.
A Unilever spokesperson said that the comments reflect the views of the independent social mission board of Ben & Jerry’s, and they do not speak for anyone other than themselves.
“We call for peace in the region and for relief for all those whose lives have been impacted,” the spokesperson said.
Unilever asked a US judge to dismiss Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit. The company is also in the process of separating out its ice cream business, including Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s, to an independent company this summer.
Ben & Jerry’s has said its year 2000 merger agreement with Unilever gave its independent board “primary responsibility” to pursue the company’s social mission. The crux of the dispute between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever is how much leeway the board actually has.
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Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s calls war in Gaza a ‘genocide’
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Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s calls war in Gaza a ‘genocide’
- We stand with all who raise their voices against genocide in Gaza: statement
Violent protests break out in Albania over allegations of government graft
- Demonstrators hurled petrol bombs at a government building and police responded with water canon
- Belinda Balluku denies charges that she interfered in public tenders for major infrastructure projects
TIRANA: Anti-government protesters clashed with police in Albania’s capital Tirana on Tuesday evening as thousands gathered to demand the resignation of the deputy prime minister over alleged corruption.
Demonstrators hurled petrol bombs at a government building and police responded with water canon in the latest in a string of violent protests that pose a threat to the stability of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s long hold on power, which began in 2013. Political tensions have escalated since December after a special prosecution unit indicted Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, for allegedly interfering in public tenders for major infrastructure projects and favoring certain companies, charges Balluku denies.
Thousands of people at the main square in Tirana carried flags and banners and chanted “Rama go home, this corrupted government should resign.” Special police in riot gear protected the government building.
The Special Prosecution Office, tasked with combating corruption and organized crime, has requested that parliament lifts Balluku’s immunity this week to enable her arrest. It is not clear when the parliament, where Rama’s ruling party holds a majority, is expected to vote or if it will vote at all.
Demonstrators hurled petrol bombs at a government building and police responded with water canon in the latest in a string of violent protests that pose a threat to the stability of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s long hold on power, which began in 2013. Political tensions have escalated since December after a special prosecution unit indicted Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, for allegedly interfering in public tenders for major infrastructure projects and favoring certain companies, charges Balluku denies.
Thousands of people at the main square in Tirana carried flags and banners and chanted “Rama go home, this corrupted government should resign.” Special police in riot gear protected the government building.
The Special Prosecution Office, tasked with combating corruption and organized crime, has requested that parliament lifts Balluku’s immunity this week to enable her arrest. It is not clear when the parliament, where Rama’s ruling party holds a majority, is expected to vote or if it will vote at all.
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