Registry

Does Ben & Jerry's support Israel?

Support documentedupdated 2026-07-29

Yes — Ben & Jerry's has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.

Filed under: Food & beverage brands · Household & consumer goods brands · Companies that support Israel

Background

Ben & Jerry's is the rare case where the brand and its parent pulled in opposite directions, so precise attribution matters. Since Unilever acquired it in 2000, an independent board has safeguarded the brand's social mission. In July 2021 that board announced an end to sales in Israeli settlements; Unilever corporate distanced itself and, in June 2022, settled litigation by long-time Israeli licensee Avi Zinger by selling the Israeli Ben & Jerry's business to his American Quality Products — so the ice cream is still made and sold throughout Israel and the West Bank, a deal Israeli officials celebrated and the independent board opposed. The rift deepened after October 7, 2023: in November 2024 Ben & Jerry's sued Unilever, saying the parent silenced its pro-Palestinian statements (including ceasefire calls) and blocked donations to groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace; in 2025 it told the court Unilever ousted CEO David Stever partly over his stance on Gaza — claims Unilever rejected. Co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned in September 2025 saying the brand had been "silenced". In December 2025 Unilever spun off its ice cream arm as The Magnum Ice Cream Company (listed in Amsterdam, London and New York), which now owns Ben & Jerry's and has said the brand is not for sale, while co-founder Ben Cohen campaigns to buy it back. Sales of the ice cream in Israel are the business of Zinger's independent company, not of Ben & Jerry's itself.

Ben & Jerry's — OPT statement (official) CNBC (2022 sale) Times of Israel (lawsuit) CNBC (Greenfield resignation) CNBC (Magnum spin-off listing)

Timeline of documented support

198619911996200120062011201620211987 — Operations in Israel: Israeli market (licensed local manufacturing and nationwide sales)Operations in Israel19872021-07 — Public statement: Public statement (settlement-sales decision)Public statement2021-07

Documented support

TypeDateAmountRecipientSources
Operations in Israel1987—Israeli market (licensed local manufacturing and nationwide sales)
Ben & Jerry's ice cream has been manufactured and sold throughout Israel since 1987 under an exclusive license held by Israeli businessman Avi Zinger's American Quality Products Ltd., which owns the local factory and distribution. After Unilever's June 2022 settlement sold the Israeli business to Zinger outright, the ice cream continues to be made and sold across Israel and the West Bank under its Hebrew and Arabic names — by the independent licensee-turned-owner, no longer under the Ben & Jerry's company itself.
Public statement2021-07-19—Public statement (settlement-sales decision)
Ben & Jerry's — through the independent board that safeguards its social mission — announced it would end sales of its ice cream in "the Occupied Palestinian Territory" (Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem) when its Israeli license expired at the end of 2022, calling such sales "inconsistent with our values", while its statement said the company would stay in Israel "through a different arrangement". This was an action of the Ben & Jerry's brand, opposed by parent Unilever, which a year later sold the Israeli business over the board's objection.

Frequently asked questions

Did Ben & Jerry's donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?

We have no records of cash donations, but Ben & Jerry's has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel, Public statement). See the records on this page.

Where does this information come from?

Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 8 distinct sources are cited for Ben & Jerry's. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.

Sources & citations

Record last updated: 2026-07-29

Companies with documented support