Ben & Jerry’s Sues Parent Unilever for Muzzling It Over Gaza

The independent board of Ben & Jerry’s has accused its parent company, Unilever Plc, of silencing it on advocating for Palestinian rights, in contravention of an agreement between the two.

Unilever has stopped the ice-cream brand from publicly calling for a cease-fire in Gaza on four occasions, breaking its promise to allow the subsidiary to set its own social mission, Ben & Jerry’s independent board said in legal documents filed Wednesday in the US Southern District court.

Unilever threatened to dismantle the board and sue individual members if Ben & Jerry’s issued a statement supporting peace and a cease-fire, ...