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The co-founders behind the famous ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has stated that corporate owner Unilever blocked the launch of an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, who established the company with Jerry Greenfield, revealed that he plans to independently develop the controversial flavor as part of a personal series showcasing issues the company has been prevented from speaking out about.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Creators versus Parent Company

This latest announcement escalates the ongoing tension between the world-famous dessert company with its corporate parent, the UK-based packaged goods giant which acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

The co-founders have asserted how the parent company along with its ice cream arm Magnum unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

Watermelon Flavor as an Emblem of Support

The entrepreneur announced via an Instagram video how he's developing an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, asking for public suggestions for naming options and potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen declared from a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has become a symbol for support for the Palestinian people because of its colors, that match the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism plus Current Developments

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell their merchandise in areas under Israeli control, leading to Unilever transferring the Israeli operation over to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution in the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series is being created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that originally established in 2016 to support ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the product "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Changes plus Upcoming Intentions

The founder stated how he will develop additional ice cream flavors that address concerns which Ben & Jerry's was prevented from speaking about openly by Unilever.

The announcement comes after co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down from the company in September, after decades with the organization, citing concerns that its independence was undermined after corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

At that time, Ben Cohen commented how "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

"My heart compels me to continue to work within the organization to fight for corporate autonomy so that it can achieve its ethical purpose, the values which it was founded on and has maintained for decades," he explained to journalists.

• Corporate owner restrictions regarding social activism
• Personal flavor creation by original creators
• The fruit-based product as political symbol
• Continuing tensions among corporate ownership versus ethical values