Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Ben & Jerry's proposes to mediate Israel dispute with parent Unilever

Ben & Jerry's proposes to mediate Israel dispute with parent Unilever
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/File Photo)
Getty Images

Ben & Jerry's and its parent, consumer products company, plan to seek mediation over the disputed sale of the ice cream maker's Israeli business to a local licensee.

In a letter dated Thursday, a lawyer for Ben & Jerry's said the companies wanted to "attempt to resolve their dispute through expedited formal mediation" instead of litigating, and would use "best efforts" to finish within two weeks.


The letter was filed just 20 minutes before a scheduled hearing on the matter in Manhattan federal court.

Lawyers for Ben & Jerry's and Unilever did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ben & Jerry's opposes selling its products in the occupied West Bank, saying it would undermine its brand and the "social integrity" built since Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded the company in a renovated Vermont gas station in 1978.

It sued on July 5 to block the sale of the Israeli business to the licensee Avi Zinger, saying Unilever had guaranteed Ben & Jerry's the right to protect its brand when buying the company in 2000.

Unilever countered that it was "fully empowered" to conduct the sale, which could not be undone because it has already closed.

It also said Ben & Jerry's could not show irreparable harm, and that prolonging the impasse risked exposing both companies to further "intense public criticism."

Most countries consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal.

Ben & Jerry's decision last July to end sales there and its ties with Zinger prompted some Jewish groups to accuse the company of anti-Semitism, and some investors to divest their Unilever stock.

More for you

Britvic growth in annual revenue and profits

Strong numbers for Britvic

Britvic, the soft drinks manufacturer set to be acquired by Carlsberg, has posted robust annual results after investment in marketing and product innovation helped it maintain demand for its brands.

Over the year to Sept 30, the company’s pre-tax profits climbed 10.5 per cent to £173.2 million despite a £21.3m hit related to the proposed Carlsberg deal. Britvic stated that its growth was driven by both volume and price-mix, with strong demand for brands such as Pepsi, Tango, Lipton, MiWadi and Ballygowan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Met Police identifies four suspects in Post Office Horizon scandal

Met Police identifies four suspects in Post Office Horizon scandal

The Metropolitan Police has identified two new suspects in its investigation into possible criminal offences as part of the Post Office Horizon scandal. This takes the total number of individuals to four as the force also revealed it believes more suspects will be identified as the inquiry progresses.

Scotland Yard said members of the investigation team met with Sir Alan Bates, the leading Post Office campaigner, and fellow victims to update them on the development.

Keep ReadingShow less
Discover Britain's top hotspots for independent shops

(Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Discover Britain's top hotspots for independent shops

New research by American Express Shop Small reveals the nation’s top 10 hotspots for independent shops, showcasing the small businesses and the valuable role they plan in their local communities.

American Express partnered with retail experts GlobalData to identify the top high streets for independent shops through ranking factors such as the number of independent outlets, variety of business types, and vibrancy of the high street.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Walkable high streets boost economy'
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Getty Images

'Walkable high streets boost economy'

Shoppers who walk and wheel spend more than those arriving by car, states a recent report, demonstrating the significant economic and social benefits of investing in walkable town centres, challenging traditional views on urban accessibility.

The findings published in third edition of "The Pedestrian Pound Report", recently published by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, come at a critical juncture for British high streets, with a record number of retail failures in 2022 and a vacancy rate of nearly one in seven by the end of 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yvette Cooper

Home secretary Yvette Cooper speaking at the annual conference hosted by the NPCC and APCC on 19 November 2024

Photo: GOV.UK

Home secretary pledges to restore neighbourhood policing

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to rebuild neighbourhood policing and combat surging shop theft as part of an ambitious programme of reform to policing.

In her first major speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on Tuesday, Cooper highlighted four of the key areas for reform: neighbourhood policing, police performance, structures and capabilities, crime prevention.

Keep ReadingShow less