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The co-founders of the well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has announced how corporate owner Unilever stopped the introduction of a new Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, who established the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, revealed how he will personally create the controversial product within a personal series showcasing issues Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Dispute Involving Founders versus Corporate Owner

This latest announcement deepens the ongoing tension between the world-famous ice cream maker with Unilever, the British consumer goods giant that acquired Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

The co-founders have asserted how the parent company and its ice cream arm Magnum unlawfully blocked their company against "maintaining its activist principles".

Watermelon Sorbet as an Emblem of Support

The entrepreneur stated via an Instagram video how he's developing a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions regarding the product's name plus additional components.

“I'm accomplishing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen declared from a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire in Palestine while demanding repairing the damage that was done there.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol for support for the Palestinian people due to its colors, which closely resemble those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism plus Recent Developments

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of their merchandise in territories occupied by Israel, resulting in Unilever selling their Israel business to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious dessert company that originally created in 2016 for endorsing ex- political contender Bernie Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Shifts plus Upcoming Intentions

The founder stated that he plans to create other ice cream flavors focusing on issues that the company was silenced from speaking about openly due to corporate restrictions.

This development follows co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned from the company recently, after decades of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how its independence was compromised following Unilever's decision to restrict their advocacy work.

Previously, Ben Cohen commented that “My partner has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart compels me to continue to work inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy ensuring that it can actualise its ethical purpose, the values which it was founded on while upholding for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Parent company restrictions on social activism
• Personal flavor creation from company founders
• The fruit-based product serving as social statement
• Ongoing disagreements between corporate ownership versus social mission