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The co-founders behind the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has stated that corporate owner Unilever blocked the launch of an innovative Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, who established the business with his partner, announced that he plans to independently develop the controversial product as part of a personal collection showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Dispute Involving Creators and Parent Company

The recent development escalates the ongoing conflict between the internationally recognized dessert company with Unilever, the British consumer goods giant that has owned the ice cream brand for over two decades.

The co-founders have asserted how Unilever and its ice cream arm Magnum improperly prevented their company from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

Watermelon Sorbet as an Emblem for Support

The entrepreneur announced through social media that he's developing a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, asking for public suggestions regarding naming options plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen stated from his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for repairing the damage that was done there.”

The watermelon has become an emblem of solidarity with Palestinians due to its colors, which mirror the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism and Recent Changes

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas under Israeli control, leading to the parent company 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 Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand that was first established several years back to support ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders with the product "Bernie's Back".

Management Shifts and Future Intentions

Mr. Cohen stated that he plans to create additional ice cream flavors that address concerns that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from speaking about openly by Unilever.

This development comes after partner Jerry Greenfield resigned from the company recently, after many years with the organization, citing worries regarding how its independence was compromised following corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Mr. Cohen commented how “My partner has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was breaking it."

"My heart compels me to keep working within the organization to advocate for corporate autonomy ensuring that the company can achieve its ethical purpose, the principles which established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he told media outlets.

• Parent company restrictions regarding social activism
• Personal product development by company founders
• The fruit-based product as political symbol
• Continuing tensions between corporate ownership and ethical values