Ben & Jerry's Founding Partner States Parent Company Blocked Palestine-Themed Ice Cream Product

The co-founders of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has stated that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate stopped the introduction for a new pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the business alongside his partner, announced how he plans to independently develop the controversial product as part of an individual collection showcasing causes the company was prevented from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Involving Founders and Corporate Owner

This latest announcement deepens the ongoing conflict between the world-famous dessert company with Unilever, the British consumer goods giant that acquired the ice cream brand for over two decades.

The co-founders maintain how the parent company and its ice cream arm the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol for Solidarity

Mr. Cohen revealed via an Instagram video how he is creating a new watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting public suggestions for naming options and potential ingredients.

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

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

Previous Activism plus Recent Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of its products in areas under Israeli control, leading to Unilever selling their Israel business to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series is being created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company that originally established several years back for endorsing former political contender Senator Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Changes plus Future Plans

Mr. Cohen stated how he plans to develop additional frozen dessert varieties that address issues which the company was prevented from speaking about openly due to corporate restrictions.

The announcement follows co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned from the company in September, following decades of involvement, citing worries that its independence had been compromised following Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At that time, Ben Cohen remarked that “My partner has strong compassion and this conflict with Unilever was breaking it."

"My heart compels me to continue to work inside the company to fight for its independence so that the company can actualise the social mission, the principles that it was founded on while upholding for decades," he explained to media outlets.

• Parent company restrictions regarding social activism
• Personal flavor creation by company founders
• The fruit-based product serving as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements among corporate ownership versus social mission