Ben & Jerry’s board calls pro-Palestinian campus protests ‘essential’ to democracy

The board of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, founded by two Jewish men from New York, said that the pro-Palestinian protests sweeping US college campuses and graduation ceremonies are “essential” to democracy.

The Vermont-based frozen dairy dessert maker, a brand owned by Unilever and sold on some college campuses, called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza in January.

“Lunch counter sit-ins, student-led protests against the Vietnam War and Apartheid South Africa, and now the campus protests in solidarity with Gaza, all are part of our rich history of free speech and non-violent protest that makes change and is essential to a strong democracy,” the independent board said in a statement.

Three years ago, Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, saying it was “inconsistent” with its values, and leading parent company Unilever to look for a “new arrangement” for selling the ice cream in Israel.

Unilever then offloaded its Israeli Ben & Jerry’s business to a local licensee, keeping the ice cream for sale in the country. The Ben & Jerry’s board sued to try to block the sale, and the lawsuit was later “resolved.”

Unilever is now planning to spin out its ice cream unit by 2025 in an effort to simplify its business.

London-based Unilever did not immediately return a request for comment.

Ben & Jerry’s, which was launched by Long Islanders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Vermont in 1978, was acquired by Unilever in 2000 for $326 million.

As part of the deal, Ben & Jerry’s board was allowed to remain autonomous in representing the brand’s position on hot-button political issues. Cohen and Greenfield don’t serve in any official role with Ben & Jerry’s.

Although many companies and executives initially condemned Hamas’ attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, few have said much about the specific conduct of the war since, although some have supported charity efforts to send aid to the region.

Ben & Jerry’s has spoken out on a number of issues, including gay marriage, prison reform and abortion rights.