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The co-founders behind the famous frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has claimed that parent company Unilever stopped the introduction of a new Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who established the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, announced how he will personally create this new flavor within an individual collection highlighting issues the company was prevented from speaking out about.

Longstanding Conflict Involving Creators and Corporate Owner

The recent development intensifies the continuing conflict between the internationally recognized dessert company with Unilever, the UK-based packaged goods giant that acquired Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

Both founders have asserted how the parent company and their ice cream division Magnum improperly prevented their company from "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Sorbet as an Emblem for Support

Mr. Cohen announced via an Instagram video how he is creating an innovative watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions for the product's name plus additional components.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored ice cream that advocates for permanent peace for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians due to its colors, that closely resemble those of Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Previous Social Engagement and Recent Changes

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in areas occupied by Israel, leading to the parent company selling their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting ongoing distribution in the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming product line will be developed under Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand which originally created in 2016 for endorsing former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Changes and Future Intentions

The founder indicated how he will create additional ice cream flavors that address concerns which Ben & Jerry's was silenced from addressing publicly due to Unilever.

The announcement follows co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned his position at Ben & Jerry's recently, following decades with the organization, citing concerns that the company's autonomy was undermined after corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

At that time, Ben Cohen remarked how “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience leads me to keep working inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy so that the company can actualise the social mission, the principles which established its foundation while upholding for decades," he explained to journalists.

• Parent company limitations regarding political advocacy
• Personal flavor creation from original creators
• Watermelon flavor serving as social statement
• Continuing tensions between corporate ownership versus ethical values