The Sweet Taste of Freedom: US Ice Cream Brand Ben & Jerry’s Churns for A Gaza Ceasefire
Calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza never tasted sweeter. Leadership at Ben and Jerry’s, a famous American ice cream brand, officially called for a Gaza ceasefire, saying the “corporate world has been silent” about the genocide.
The brand, known and loved for concoctions such as Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, is famous for taking stances on social and political issues, so much so that their board had their salaries frozen by parent company Unilever at some point.
The head of the B&J Board spoke to the Financial Times this Tuesday and said what the company is doing in regard to Gaza is “consistent with the company’s history and values.”
“Promoting peace has been an integral part of Ben & Jerry’s DNA for four decades,” Anuradha Mittal, the head of the board, added.
Why Should We Care?
Because this is one of the rarest events when a public company in the United States goes to support an end to the genocide in Gaza.
In a world where companies like Mcdonald’s and Starbucks took stances in favor of the IDF’s war on Gaza, risking endless backlash and boycotts, it poses questions on the validity of businesses setting the bottom line aside to focus on doing ‘what is right for real human lives’?
Will the world’s largest movers and shakers find a way to reconcile the untouchable mix of ‘humanity, business, and politics’? Sounds more doable to see Humanity as Ben and Jerry’s latest ice cream flavor.
