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One of the original creators of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has claimed how corporate owner Unilever prevented the launch for an innovative Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, disclosed that he plans to independently develop this new flavor within a personal collection showcasing issues Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Conflict Involving Founders versus Parent Company

The recent development escalates the continuing disagreement among the internationally recognized dessert company with Unilever, the British packaged goods corporation that has owned the ice cream brand for over two decades.

The co-founders have asserted how the parent company along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company against "honouring its social mission".

Watermelon Flavor as an Emblem of Support

Mr. Cohen announced via social media how he is creating an innovative watermelon-based frozen dessert, asking for public suggestions for the product's name plus additional components.

“I'm accomplishing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen commented from a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for permanent peace for Palestinians while demanding addressing the harm that was done there.”

The watermelon has become an emblem of support for the Palestinian people because of its coloration, that match the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism plus Current Developments

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell their merchandise in areas under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company selling the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming product line is being developed under Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand that originally created several years back for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the product "Bernie's Back".

Management Shifts and Upcoming Plans

The founder stated how he plans to develop other ice cream flavors that address concerns that the company was silenced from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

This development comes after partner Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's in September, following many years with the organization, mentioning worries that the company's autonomy had been compromised after corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

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

"My heart leads me to keep working within the organization to fight for corporate autonomy so that the company can achieve its ethical purpose, the values which it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations on social activism
• Personal product development from original creators
• The fruit-based product as political symbol
• Continuing tensions between corporate ownership versus ethical values