Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that parent company Unilever has silenced its attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees and threatened to dismantle its board and sue its members over the issue.

The lawsuit is the latest sign of the long-simmering tensions between Ben & Jerry's and consumer products maker Unilever, which is planning to spin out its ice cream business next year.

The spin-out would include the top-selling Vermont-based maker of Chubby Hubby, although experts on corporate governance said the brand's board, a centerpiece of the new lawsuit, could present challenges to the deal.