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One of the co-founders of the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has announced that corporate owner Unilever blocked the introduction of a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, who established the company with Jerry Greenfield, announced that he will independently develop the controversial flavor within a personal series highlighting issues the company was barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Between Creators and Corporate Owner

The recent development deepens the continuing conflict between the world-famous dessert company and Unilever, the British packaged goods corporation that acquired the ice cream brand for over two decades.

The co-founders have claimed how Unilever along with their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked their company from "maintaining its activist principles".

Watermelon Flavor becoming a Symbol for Support

Mr. Cohen announced via social media how he is creating a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas regarding naming options and additional components.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has become a symbol of support for Palestinians due to its colors, that mirror the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Social Engagement plus Recent Developments

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company transferring their Israel business to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand which originally established several years back for endorsing former political contender Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Shifts and Upcoming Plans

The founder stated how he will create other ice cream flavors focusing on concerns which Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly due to Unilever.

The announcement comes after partner Mr. Greenfield stepped down his position at Ben & Jerry's recently, after many years of involvement, mentioning concerns that its independence was compromised following corporate moves to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Ben Cohen stated that "Jerry has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with Unilever was breaking it."

"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to advocate for its independence so that the company can actualise its ethical purpose, the values that it was founded on while upholding for decades," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations regarding social activism
• Independent flavor creation by company founders
• The fruit-based product as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements among parent company versus social mission