Ben & Jerry's, the popular ice cream brand, has brought its parent company, Unilever, to court in an attempt to stop the sale of its business in Israel. The British consumer goods company headquartered in London previously revealed it sold its ice cream biz to a local company, Avi Zinger.
Now it appears that Ben & Jerry's did not agree with the decision, so it is trying to cancel the sale deal. Unilever has made a deal with Avi Zinger so that the sale of Ben & Jerry's ice cream products can continue in the West Bank. Avi Zinger will serve as Unilver's distribution partner, but the ice cream maker filed a complaint regarding this deal.
CNN Business reported that Ben & Jerry's filed a lawsuit against Unilever on Tuesday, July 5, at the US District Court in New York. In its complaint, it is seeking an injunction against its parent company to protect its own brand and social integrity that it has spent many years building.
The ice cream company has been operating in Israel since 1987, but it encountered some issues recently after selling its products in West Bank settlements which Israel considers illegal under international law. The pressure from the issue has led the company to announce that it will no longer sell or bring its ice cream to the area.
The decision set off a conflict with American Quality Products (AQP), Ben & Jerry's longtime distributor in Israel, which sued the ice cream maker and Unilever in March. AQP stated that the companies were "unlawfully terminating its 34-year business relationship in order to boycott Israel."
Unilever is trying to soothe the situation and end the controversies by announcing last week that it sold Ben & Jerry's Israeli business to AQP. The amount of the deal remained unknown up to this day.
With the sale, Ben & Jerry's will be marketed in the Israel and West Bank region under its Hebrew and Arabic names. In the court filing, the ice cream company revealed that the sale came as a big surprise to its board, and its chairman was left stunned after hearing the news. The board then decided to sue Unilever for its actions after five board directors voted to authorize the lawsuit.
As per CNBC, a judge denied Ben & Jerry's application for a temporary restraining order but commanded Unilever to show cause by July 14. It should explain why the court should not issue a preliminary injunction. Meanwhile, Unilever said in a statement that the deal is already closed.


Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await Fed Rate Decision; Indian Rupee Hits New Record Low
Michael Dell Pledges $6.25 Billion to Boost Children’s Investment Accounts Under Trump Initiative
Anthropic Reportedly Taps Wilson Sonsini as It Prepares for a Potential 2026 IPO
Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX
China’s Services Sector Posts Slowest Growth in Five Months as Demand Softens
Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations
Spain’s Industrial Output Records Steady Growth in October Amid Revised September Figures
Oil Prices Rise as Ukraine Targets Russian Energy Infrastructure
Tesla Expands Affordable Model 3 Lineup in Europe to Boost EV Demand
RBI Cuts Repo Rate to 5.25% as Inflation Cools and Growth Outlook Strengthens
OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities
Germany’s Economic Recovery Slows as Trade Tensions and Rising Costs Weigh on Growth
Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data
Asian Markets Mixed as RBI Cuts Rates and BOJ Signals Possible Hike
IMF Deputy Dan Katz Visits China as Key Economic Review Nears
Tesla Faces 19% Drop in UK Registrations as Competition Intensifies
Proxy Advisors Urge Vote Against ANZ’s Executive Pay Report Amid Scandal Fallout 



