DayofPal—Ben & Jerry’s Israel has introduced a new Israel-exclusive ice cream flavour, Milk and Honey, marking the latest chapter in a series of disputes between the Vermont-based ice cream maker, its co-founders and the company’s parent group Unilever.
The dispute grows over Unilever’s refusal to grant them independent control over the company’s stance on Palestinian rights.
Users criticize the new flavour, which presented with ice cream and a chocolate Star of David next to a tub, amid ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Social media users have reacted strongly to a post shared by Israel’s official X account on Tuesday announcing the release of Milk and Honey, which it declared the “official ice cream flavour” of the country.
The product states that it was created to support Israeli outposts near the Gaza Strip.
Ben & Jerry’s Israel, which has been operating independently from the global Ben & Jerry’s since 2022, said in its promotional materials that it sourced the milk and cream from dairy farms in Kibbutz Alumim, one of the towns near the separation fence with Gaza.
It added that the chocolate Stars of David came from a factory in Beersheba in the Negev desert, known in Arabic as the Naqab, and the honey from the beehives of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai.
Criticizing the branding against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, several users shared photos and names of alternative ideas for the flavour.
One user edited the flavour label on the ice cream carton to read “Genocidaires’ Delight”.
Another commented: “Mmm…tastes like genocide.”
The move by Ben & Jerry’s Israel also renewed discussions over the brand’s identity, as users pointed out the stance of its board and co-founders, who have publicly called for Palestinian rights and had already called the war on Gaza a genocide.
One user replied to the post by saying: “It’s the most Israeli ice cream in the sense that it was stolen from the original owners and Israelis are pretending it belongs to them.”
The announcement comes after Ben Cohen, co-founder of the original Ben & Jerry’s company, said in October last year that he would be making a watermelon-flavoured ice cream “that calls for permanent peace in Palestine” and that draws attention to the “suffering” of Palestinians “living under occupation”.
He revealed that Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s parent company, blocked the ice cream company from pursuing the original idea, prompting him to announce his decision to produce the flavour himself.
Ben & Jerry’s has been known for championing social justice issues through campaigning, marketing and limited-edition flavours, raising money for causes such as refugee rights, racial justice, the climate crisis and equality.
In 2021, its co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield moved to ban the sale of its products in occupied Palestine, which includes illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, announcing that they would not renew the licence agreement with its Israeli offshoot the following year.
However, its parent company Unilever responded by selling Ben and Jerry’s Israel to its local licensee, Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products.
The two sued the company for breaching the social justice contract that was specified in the merger deal when they originally sold the company to Unilever, which was settled for an undisclosed sum.
Following the onset of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, Ben & Jerry’s was involved in another legal dispute with Unilever, suing its parent company after accusing it of preventing its attempts to publicly speak out in support of Palestinian rights.
The company said it was “silenced” on four separate occasions: When it tried calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, advocating for halting US military aid to Israel, supporting university students protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza, and supporting the safe passage of Palestinian refugees from Gaza to the UK.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=75678
