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The co-founders of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has announced that parent company the multinational conglomerate prevented the launch of a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, who established the company with Jerry Greenfield, announced how he will independently develop the controversial flavor within an individual series showcasing issues the company was barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Involving Creators and Parent Company

This latest development escalates the ongoing disagreement among the world-famous ice cream maker and Unilever, the UK-based packaged goods corporation that acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

Both founders have claimed that Unilever along with their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked their company against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Flavor as an Emblem of Support

The entrepreneur revealed through social media how he is creating an innovative watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas for the product's name plus additional components.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for permanent peace for Palestinians while demanding addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has become an emblem for support for the Palestinian people due to its colors, which match the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Previous Social Engagement plus Current Changes

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company selling their Israel business to a local licensee, thereby permitting continued sales within the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series is being created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company that originally created several years back to support ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders with the product "Bernie's Return".

Management Changes and Future Plans

The founder stated how he plans to develop additional ice cream flavors that address issues that the company was silenced from addressing publicly due to Unilever.

This development follows co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned his position at Ben & Jerry's recently, after decades with the organization, citing worries regarding how the company's autonomy had been undermined following corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated how "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to keep working inside the company to advocate for its independence so that the company can achieve its ethical purpose, the principles which it was founded on while upholding for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner restrictions regarding political advocacy
• Independent product development from company founders
• The fruit-based product serving as social statement
• Ongoing tensions among corporate ownership and ethical values