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One of the original creators behind the well-known frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has claimed how corporate owner Unilever prevented the introduction of an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, that co-founded the company alongside his partner, revealed that he plans to personally create this new product within an individual series showcasing issues Ben & Jerry's was barred from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Conflict Involving Founders versus Corporate Owner

The recent announcement escalates the continuing tension between the internationally recognized dessert company and Unilever, the British consumer goods giant which acquired the ice cream brand for over two decades.

Both founders maintain that the parent company and their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company from "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol for Solidarity

Mr. Cohen revealed through social media how he is creating a new watermelon-based sorbet, requesting public suggestions for naming options plus additional components.

“I'm doing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen declared from a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that advocates for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has emerged as a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian people due to its coloration, which mirror those of Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Previous Social Engagement and Current Changes

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell their merchandise in areas under Israeli control, resulting in Unilever selling the Israeli operation to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

The new product line will be developed under Ben's Best, the activist dessert company that was first created several years back to support former political contender Bernie Sanders via the product "Bernie's Back".

Management Changes and Future Plans

The founder stated that he plans to develop other frozen dessert varieties that address issues which Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry's in September, after decades with the organization, citing worries regarding how its independence had been undermined following corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Mr. Cohen remarked that “My partner has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart leads 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 while upholding for decades," he explained to journalists.

• Parent company limitations on social activism
• Personal flavor creation by company founders
• Watermelon flavor serving as social statement
• Ongoing disagreements among parent company versus social mission