Ben & Jerry’s chairman calls for permanent Gaza ceasefire
BEN & JERRY’S has called for a “permanent and immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, raising the prospect of renewed tensions with its owner Unilever.
Anuradha Mittal, chairman of the ice cream maker’s board of directors, urged policymakers to act in an interview with the Financial Times, as she said that “peace is a core value of the brand”.
She said: “From Iraq to Ukraine, [the company] has consistently stood up for these principles. Today is no different as we call for peace and a permanent and immediate ceasefire.”
Founded in 1978, Ben & Jerry’s is known for taking a stance on social issues. It was bought by Unilever in 2000 but is run autonomously by an independent board of directors.
The company’s stance on Israel and Palestine sparked a clash with Unilever in 2021 after it vowed to stop selling products in occupied Palestinian territories.
Unilever subsequently sold off Ben & Jerry’s Israel arm in a bid to defuse the situation and this led to the ice cream maker launching a legal battle against its parent, although the lawsuit was later resolved.
Ms Mittal, who describes herself on Linkedin as a human, land and indigenous rights advocate, said the decision to call for a ceasefire was “consistent with the history and values of our company”. It comes amid mounting pressure on consumer brands over Gaza. Companies such as Starbucks and Mcdonald’s have faced mounting calls for boycotts, with campaigners even protesting outside stores. Starbucks was targeted after it sued the union Starbucks Workers United for posting a pro-palestine social media post in the wake of Hamas’ attacks.
In December, Starbucks chief executive Laxman Narasimhan said protesters were being “influenced by misrepresentation on social media of what we stand for”.
Mcdonald’s, meanwhile, was criticised by campaigners after photos and videos on social media showed its stores in Israel giving out free meals to Israel Defense Forces personnel.
Chris Kempczinski, the fast food chain’s chief executive, said earlier this month that “misinformation” about the company supporting Israel was affecting its sales in the Middle East.
Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s were contacted for comment.