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One of the original creators of the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has stated how corporate owner Unilever blocked the launch for a new Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, who co-founded the business with his partner, revealed that he plans to independently develop this new product within a personal collection highlighting issues Ben & Jerry's has been barred from speaking out about.

Ongoing Conflict Between Founders and Parent Company

This latest development intensifies the ongoing tension between the internationally recognized ice cream maker and Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods corporation that has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders have claimed how the parent company and its ice cream arm Magnum improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's against "honouring its social mission".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming an Emblem for Support

The entrepreneur announced through an Instagram video that he's developing an innovative watermelon-based sorbet, requesting consumer ideas for naming options plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they couldn't,” the founder commented in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that advocates for permanent peace for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has emerged as an emblem of support for Palestinians due to its coloration, which match the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism plus Recent Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas under Israeli control, leading to the parent company transferring the Israeli operation to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting continued sales within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious dessert company that originally established several years back for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the product "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Shifts plus Upcoming Intentions

Mr. Cohen stated how he will develop other ice cream flavors that address concerns that the company was silenced from addressing publicly by Unilever.

The announcement comes after partner Jerry Greenfield resigned from the company in September, after many years of involvement, citing concerns regarding how its independence had been undermined following Unilever's decision to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Ben Cohen remarked that “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to continue to work within the organization to fight for corporate autonomy so that the company can actualise the social mission, the values that it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations regarding social activism
• Independent flavor creation from original creators
• The fruit-based product serving as social statement
• Continuing tensions among parent company and ethical values