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The original creators of the famous ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has claimed how parent company Unilever prevented the introduction for an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, that co-founded the company alongside his partner, announced how he plans to personally create the controversial flavor within an individual series highlighting causes the company was barred from speaking out about.

Longstanding Dispute Between Founders and Corporate Owner

The recent development intensifies the ongoing tension among the world-famous ice cream maker with its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods giant which acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

Both founders have claimed that the parent company and its ice cream arm the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company against "maintaining its activist principles".

Watermelon Flavor becoming an Emblem of Support

Mr. Cohen revealed via social media that he is creating an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, asking for public suggestions regarding the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for repairing the damage that was done there.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol for solidarity with Palestinians because of its colors, which match the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism and Recent Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in territories under Israeli control, leading to the parent company transferring the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing ongoing distribution within disputed territories.

This upcoming dessert series will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that originally created in 2016 to support ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Shifts and Future Intentions

Mr. Cohen stated that he will create additional ice cream flavors focusing on issues which the company was silenced from addressing publicly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield stepped down his position at Ben & Jerry's recently, after decades of involvement, mentioning worries that the company's autonomy was undermined after Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At that time, Ben Cohen commented how “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy so that it can fulfill its ethical purpose, the values which established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations on social activism
• Independent product development from company founders
• The fruit-based product serving as social statement
• Continuing disagreements between corporate ownership versus ethical values