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Does Unilever PLC support Israel?

Support documentedupdated 2022-06-29

Yes — Unilever PLC has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.

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

Background

The Ben & Jerry's saga is a story of two different actors. Ben & Jerry's has kept an independent board safeguarding its social mission since Unilever acquired it in 2000. In July 2021 that independent board announced it would end sales in "the Occupied Palestinian Territory" (Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem), calling such sales inconsistent with its values while saying the brand would stay in Israel. Unilever's corporate leadership distanced itself and said it remained fully committed to its business in Israel. In June 2022 Unilever overrode the subsidiary's board by selling its Israeli Ben & Jerry's business to long-time licensee Avi Zinger (American Quality Products), so sales continue throughout Israel and the West Bank — a move 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 planned charitable donations to groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace; Unilever rejected the claims. Actions of Ben & Jerry's independent board should not be attributed to Unilever — and vice versa.

Ben & Jerry's — OPT statement (official) NBC News CNBC Times of Israel

Timeline of documented support

2022 — Operations in Israel: State of Israel (local production, employment and taxes)Operations in Israel20222022-06 — Government contract: American Quality Products Ltd. (Avi Zinger, Israeli licensee)Government contract2022-062022-06 — Public statement: Public statement (anti-BDS position)Public statement2022-06

Documented support

TypeDateAmountRecipientSources
Operations in Israel2022—State of Israel (local production, employment and taxes)
Unilever Israel — rooted in a Haifa margarine factory opened in 1938 — is the sixth-largest consumer-goods company in Israel, with about 2,000 employees, headquarters in Airport City and four plants (Safed, Acre, Arad, Haifa); roughly 85% of its range is locally produced, under brands including Telma, Strauss Ice Cream, Bagel Bagel, Knorr, Lipton and Dove. During the 2021-22 Ben & Jerry's dispute Unilever repeatedly said it remained "fully committed" to its business in Israel.
Government contract2022-06-29—American Quality Products Ltd. (Avi Zinger, Israeli licensee)
Unilever corporate overrode the 2021 decision of Ben & Jerry's independent board: as part of a legal settlement with its long-time Israeli licensee Avi Zinger, it sold its Ben & Jerry's business interests in Israel to Zinger's American Quality Products, so Ben & Jerry's ice cream (under its Hebrew and Arabic names) continues to be sold throughout Israel and the West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid welcomed the deal as a "victory" in "the struggle against BDS"; Ben & Jerry's independent board opposed the sale. This was an action of the Unilever parent company, not of Ben & Jerry's.
Public statement2022-06-29—Public statement (anti-BDS position)
Announcing the sale, Unilever corporate stated: "We reject completely and repudiate unequivocally any form of discrimination or intolerance. Antisemitism has no place in any society. We have never expressed any support for the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement and have no intention of changing that position."

Frequently asked questions

Did Unilever PLC donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?

We have no records of cash donations, but Unilever PLC has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel, Government contract, 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 Unilever PLC. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.

Sources & citations

Record last updated: 2022-06-29

Companies with documented support