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One of the co-founders of the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has claimed how corporate owner Unilever prevented the launch for an innovative Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, who co-founded the company with his partner, revealed how he will independently develop this new flavor as part of a personal series highlighting issues the company was prevented from speaking out about.

Ongoing Conflict Between Founders versus Parent Company

The recent announcement deepens the continuing tension among the world-famous ice cream maker with its corporate parent, the British consumer goods giant that acquired Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders have asserted how the parent company and their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked their company against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Flavor as an Emblem for Solidarity

The entrepreneur revealed via social media that he's developing a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions regarding naming options and additional components.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that calls for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol for support for the Palestinian people because of its colors, that match the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism plus Current Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of its products in territories under Israeli control, 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 created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious dessert company which was first created in 2016 for endorsing former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Changes plus Future Plans

The founder indicated that he plans to develop other ice cream flavors focusing on issues that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly by Unilever.

The announcement comes after partner Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy was compromised following corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Ben Cohen remarked that “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to continue to work inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy ensuring that the company can actualise the social mission, the principles which it was founded on while upholding for decades," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations on political advocacy
• Personal product development by original creators
• The fruit-based product serving as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements between parent company and social mission