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One of the co-founders of the famous frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has stated that corporate owner Unilever stopped the launch of an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, that established the company with his partner, announced that he will personally create the controversial flavor as part of a personal series showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Dispute Between Creators and Corporate Owner

The recent announcement escalates the ongoing disagreement among the internationally recognized ice cream maker and Unilever, the UK-based packaged goods corporation that has owned Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

Both founders have asserted that Unilever along with their ice cream division Magnum improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's from "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Flavor as a Symbol for Support

The entrepreneur announced through social media how he is creating an innovative watermelon-based sorbet, asking for public suggestions for the product's name and additional components.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder commented in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has become a symbol for support for the Palestinian people because of its coloration, which match the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Social Engagement plus Recent Changes

Several years ago, the ice cream company ceased sales of its products in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in Unilever transferring the Israeli operation to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing continued sales within the occupied West Bank.

The new product line will be developed under Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand that originally established several years back to support former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Management Changes and Future Intentions

The founder revealed how he plans to create other frozen dessert varieties focusing on issues that Ben & Jerry's was silenced from speaking about openly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after partner Mr. Greenfield stepped down his position at the company recently, after many years with the organization, mentioning concerns that its independence was compromised after corporate moves to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated that "Jerry has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to continue to work inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy so that it can fulfill its ethical purpose, the principles that it was founded on and has maintained for decades," he explained to journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations regarding social activism
• Independent flavor creation from company founders
• The fruit-based product serving as social statement
• Ongoing disagreements among parent company and social mission