NEW YORK: American ice cream brand Ben Jerry's said on Tuesday it is suing its parent company Unilever to block a move that would see its product sold in West Bank settlements, which would run counter to its values.
The company, known for its political activism, took the unusual step of injunction after London-based Unilever announced last week it sold its interest in the ice cream to Israeli license-holder Avi Zinger.
According to a complaint filed in a US district court, the legal action was necessary to protect the brand and social integrity of the company that Ben Jerry's has spent decades building.
Unilever's decision was made without the consent of Ben Jerry's Independent Board, and goes against the merger agreement that gave the board the ability to protect the founder's values and reputation, the complaint said.
In July last year, Vermont-based Ben Jerry's announced that it would no longer sell its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, which the Jewish state seized in 1967, saying it was inconsistent with our values, although it said it planned to keep selling its products in Israel.
However, Zinger had continued to produce ice cream in his factory in the suburbs of Tel Aviv and distribute it to the Israeli settlements, going against Ben Jerry's decision.
Hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, in communities that are regarded as illegal under international law.
Palestinians cheered the company's move last year, seen as a victory for the BDS movement, which calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions of the Jewish state over what it describes as the mistreatment of Palestinians.
Ben Jerry's, founded in the United States in 1978, is known for championing progressive causes, including protecting the environment and promoting human rights, and has frequently released special ice cream flavors to support causes or protests.
Unilever defended its right to execute the transaction last week, despite the fact that it had never expressed any support for the BDS movement.
In our statement on June 29th, Unilever had the right to enter this arrangement. The deal has already closed, the company said on Tuesday. We do not comment on pending litigation.