The Israeli Embassy to the US on Friday countered Ben Cohen, co-founder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, who had suggested a new flavor intended to show solidarity with “Palestine” but claimed to have been blocked by parent company Unilever.
The Israeli Embassy suggested a new flavor of ice cream called “Am Yisrael Chai”, writing in a post on X, “Hey Ben, challenge accepted. Our flavor: Am Yisrael Chai - tastes like strength, unity, and standing your ground. Not everyone can handle it.”
Cohen announced earlier this week that he will move forward independently with the “Palestine” flavor and would create it as part of a personal series highlighting social causes that he claims Ben & Jerry’s has been barred from addressing publicly.
In a video posted on Instagram, Cohen revealed that he is developing a watermelon-flavored sorbet. The watermelon has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinian Arabs because its red, green, black, and white colors mirror those of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flag.
Ben & Jerry’s, long recognized for its outspoken stance on political, environmental, and humanitarian issues - including the Israel-Gaza conflict - has often found itself at odds with Unilever, which purchased the brand in 2000.
The friction dates back to at least 2021, when the Vermont-based company announced its decision to cease sales in Judea and Samaria.
The announcement led to months of controversy and criticism, including multiple American states divesting from the firm, and Australia’s kosher authority delisting the ice cream maker.
In July of 2022, Unilever announced that it had reached a new arrangement for Ben & Jerry’s in Israel, selling its Ben & Jerry’s business interests in Israel to Avi Zinger, the owner of American Quality Products Ltd (AQP), the current Israel-based licensee.
Ben & Jerry’s then sued Unilever in a bid to block the sale of the Israeli business to Zinger. That lawsuit was settled in December of 2022.
In January of this year, Ben & Jerry's initiated legal action against Unilever, alleging attempts to silence its outspoken stance on Gaza and its past criticisms of President Donald Trump.
In May, the board of Ben & Jerry's escalated its bitter feud with Unilever by publicly labeling the ongoing conflict in Gaza as "genocide".
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)