Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s calls war in Gaza a ‘genocide’

Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s calls war in Gaza a ‘genocide’
The brand’s parent company is Unilever. (Reuters)
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Updated 30 May 2025

Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s calls war in Gaza a ‘genocide’

Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s calls war in Gaza a ‘genocide’
  • We stand with all who raise their voices against genocide in Gaza: statement

NEW YORK: The independent board of Ben & Jerry’s said the conflict in Gaza is a genocide, escalating a bitter feud between the ice cream maker and its longtime London-based corporate parent Unilever.
“Ben & Jerry’s believes in human rights and advocates for peace, and we join with those around the world who denounce the genocide in Gaza,” the board said in a statement viewed by Reuters. “We stand with all who raise their voices against genocide in Gaza — from petition-signers to street marchers to those risking arrest.”
Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at odds since at least 2021 when the Chubby Hubby ice cream maker said it would stop selling in the Israel-occupied West Bank. Ben & Jerry’s sued its owner last year over its alleged attempts to silence it on Gaza and criticize US President Donald Trump. Its statement on Gaza is unusual for a major US brand.
A Unilever spokesperson said that the comments reflect the views of the independent social mission board of Ben & Jerry’s, and they do not speak for anyone other than themselves.
“We call for peace in the region and for relief for all those whose lives have been impacted,” the spokesperson said.
Unilever asked a US judge to dismiss Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit. The company is also in the process of separating out its ice cream business, including Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s, to an independent company this summer.
Ben & Jerry’s has said its year 2000 merger agreement with Unilever gave its independent board “primary responsibility” to pursue the company’s social mission. The crux of the dispute between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever is how much leeway the board actually has.


Weapons cache linked to Hamas found in Vienna by Austria’s intelligence service

Weapons cache linked to Hamas found in Vienna by Austria’s intelligence service
Updated 4 sec ago

Weapons cache linked to Hamas found in Vienna by Austria’s intelligence service

Weapons cache linked to Hamas found in Vienna by Austria’s intelligence service
A 39-year-old unidentified British citizen allegedly “having close ties to the weapons cache” was arrested in London
The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence takes consistent action against all forms of extremism, said Austria’s interior minister

VIENNA: Austria’s domestic intelligence service has uncovered a weapons cache in Vienna that is believed to be linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas for use in “possible terrorist attacks in Europe,” the government said Thursday.
A 39-year-old unidentified British citizen allegedly “having close ties to the weapons cache” was arrested in London on Monday, the interior ministry statement said.
“According to the current state of the investigation, Israeli or Jewish institutions in Europe were likely to be the targets of these attacks,” it added.
The weapons cache and the suspect were part of an internationally coordinated investigation by the country’s Directorate for State Security and Intelligence service, or DSN, “into a global terrorist organization with ties to Hamas.”
In the course of the investigations, the ministry said its intelligence service found “suspicion that a group has brought weapons into Austria to use in possible terrorist attacks in Europe.”
The weapons cache, which is thought belongs to unspecified foreign operations linked to Hamas, was discovered in a suitcase in a rented storage room in Vienna and contained five handguns and 10 accompanying magazines.
“The current case shows once again that the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence has an excellent international network and takes consistent action against all forms of extremism,” Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said. “The mission is clear: zero tolerance for terrorists.”
Britain’s National Crime Agency confirmed on Thursday that the 39-year-old was arrested in central London on Monday by specialist officers from the NCA’s National Extradition Unit. He is being held in custody until his next appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.