Ben & Jerry's Founding Partner States Unilever Blocked Pro-Palestinian Ice Cream Product

The original creators of the famous frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has announced that corporate owner Unilever prevented the introduction of an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, that co-founded the company with his partner, revealed how he plans to personally create the controversial product within a personal series highlighting issues the company has been prevented from speaking out about.

Ongoing Dispute Between Creators versus Parent Company

The recent announcement deepens the continuing disagreement among the internationally recognized ice cream maker and its corporate parent, the British consumer goods corporation which acquired Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders maintain that the parent company along with their ice cream division Magnum improperly prevented their company against "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Flavor as a Symbol for Solidarity

Mr. Cohen revealed through social media how he is creating a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions for the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated from a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that calls for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian people because of its coloration, which closely resemble those of Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Historical Social Engagement plus Current Changes

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

This upcoming dessert series will be developed under Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand that originally established in 2016 to support former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Management Shifts and Future Plans

The founder revealed how he will develop additional ice cream flavors focusing on concerns which the company was prevented from speaking about openly due to Unilever.

The announcement follows partner Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, after many years of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy was undermined following Unilever's decision to restrict their advocacy work.

Previously, Ben Cohen remarked that “My partner has strong compassion and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to continue to work within the organization to fight for its independence ensuring that it can fulfill the social mission, the values that it was founded on while upholding for decades," he told media outlets.

• Corporate owner limitations on social activism
• Personal flavor creation from company founders
• Watermelon flavor serving as political symbol
• Ongoing tensions among parent company versus social mission