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The original creators of the famous ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has announced that parent company Unilever prevented the introduction for a new Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the company alongside his partner, disclosed that he will personally create the controversial flavor as part of a personal series showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's was barred from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Dispute Involving Founders versus Corporate Owner

The recent development escalates the continuing conflict between the world-famous dessert company and Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods giant which has owned the ice cream brand since 2000.

Both founders have claimed how the parent company along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

Watermelon Sorbet as a Symbol for Support

Mr. Cohen stated via an Instagram video that he is creating an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, asking for public suggestions regarding naming options plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen declared in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol for support for Palestinians due to its colors, that mirror the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism plus Recent Changes

In 2021, the ice cream company ceased sales of their merchandise in territories occupied by Israel, leading to the parent company transferring the Israeli operation over to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming product line is being created through Ben's Best, the socially conscious ice cream brand that originally established in 2016 for endorsing former political contender Bernie Sanders with the product "Bernie's Return".

Management Shifts and Future Plans

Mr. Cohen stated that he plans to create other ice cream flavors focusing on concerns that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly by Unilever.

This development follows partner Jerry Greenfield resigned from the company recently, after many years of involvement, mentioning worries that its independence had been compromised after Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At that time, Ben Cohen remarked how “My partner has a really big heart and this conflict with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to keep working inside the company to fight for its independence ensuring that it can actualise the social mission, the values that established its foundation and has maintained for over 40 years," he explained to media outlets.

• Parent company restrictions regarding political advocacy
• Personal flavor creation by original creators
• The fruit-based product serving as social statement
• Continuing tensions between parent company versus ethical values