Users criticize Israel-exclusive „Milk and Honey” flavor amid ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Hannah Smith
Published: 24 June 2026 18:25 BST | Last updated: 20 hours 59 minutes ago
Ben & Jerry's Israel has announced a new flavor of ice cream that will be available exclusively in Israel, the latest in a series of disputes between the Vermont-based ice cream maker, its co-founders, and parent company Unilever after the company refused to allow them to make an independent decision on the brand's stance on Palestinian rights.
Social media users reacted sharply to a post on Tuesday from Israel’s official X account announcing the launch of „Milk and Honey,” which it called the country’s „official ice cream flavor.” The product description says it was „created to support communities in southern Israel.”.
Ben & Jerry's Israel - which has operated independently of the global Ben & Jerry's since 2022 - said in its promotional materials that the milk and cream were sourced from the dairy farms of Kibbutz Alumim, one of the settlements near the Gaza border fence that was attacked on October 7, 2023. They added that the chocolate Stars of David came from a factory in Beersheba, located in the Negev Desert (Naqab in Arabic), and the honey came from the beehives of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai.
Many users criticized the branding in light of Israel's war in Gaza and shared alternative ideas for naming the flavor.
One user modified the label of the ice cream box to read: „Genocidaires' Delight.” Another commented: ’Hmm… tastes like genocide.„
A UN investigation panel said in a report released Tuesday that Israel is deliberately targeting Palestinian children and committing genocide and war crimes in Gaza, as well as war crimes in the occupied West Bank. It is the latest in a series of reports by leading genocide scholars, legal experts and human rights groups that have concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Ben & Jerry's Israel's move has reignited debates about the brand's identity, as users pointed out the stance of the board and co-founders, who have publicly stood up for Palestinian rights and have previously called the war on Gaza a genocide. One user responded to the post, saying, "This is the most Israeli ice cream in the sense that it was stolen from its original owners and the Israelis are pretending it's theirs."„
The announcement comes after Ben Cohen, co-founder of the original Ben & Jerry's, said last October that he would create a watermelon-flavored ice cream that "demands lasting peace in Palestine" and draws attention to the "suffering" of Palestinians "living under occupation." He revealed that Unilever had blocked the ice cream company from pursuing the original idea, prompting him to announce that he would produce the flavor himself.
„Silent” social mission
Ben & Jerry's is known for supporting social justice causes such as refugee rights, racial justice, the climate crisis, and equality through campaigns, marketing, and limited-edition flavors. In 2021, co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield took steps to ban the sale of their products in the occupied Palestinian territories—including illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank—and announced that they would not renew their licensing agreement with the Israeli subsidiary the following year. However, parent company Unilever responded by selling Ben & Jerry's Israel to its local licensee, Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products.
The two founders sued the company for breaching a social justice agreement in the merger agreement, which was later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Following the start of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, Ben & Jerry's became embroiled in another legal dispute with Unilever, accusing the parent company of preventing it from publicly advocating for Palestinian rights.
The company said they were "silenced" on four occasions: when they called for a ceasefire in Gaza, when they called for an end to US military aid to Israel, when they supported university students protesting Israel's war in Gaza, and when they supported the safe departure of Palestinian refugees from Gaza to the UK.
Greenfield resigned in 2025, feeling that the founders„ original values-based approach was being ”silenced,„ arguing that the independence deal with the British conglomerate had been lost. Cohen continues to fight to ”liberate” the company from Unilever and ice cream maker Magnum, and has launched a campaign to allow the brand to operate independently. He was arrested last May during a Senate health committee hearing for protesting U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Middle East Eye has reached out to Ben & Jerry's Israel, Ben & Jerry's USA, Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield and Avi Zinger for comment on the incident.
