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The co-founders of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has stated how parent company Unilever prevented the launch for an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, that established the business alongside his partner, disclosed that he will independently develop this new flavor within an individual series highlighting issues the company has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Dispute Involving Founders versus Parent Company

This latest development intensifies the continuing conflict between the internationally recognized ice cream maker and Unilever, the British packaged goods corporation that acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

The co-founders maintain that Unilever along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked their company against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol for Support

Mr. Cohen announced through an Instagram video how he's developing a new watermelon-flavored sorbet, asking for public suggestions regarding the product's name and potential ingredients.

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

This particular fruit has become an emblem of support for Palestinians because of its colors, which mirror the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Historical Activism and Recent Developments

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of their merchandise in areas occupied by Israel, leading to Unilever transferring their Israel business over to a local licensee, thereby permitting ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series will be created through Ben's Best, the activist dessert company which was first established in 2016 to support former US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the product "Bernie's Return".

Management Changes plus Upcoming Intentions

The founder stated that he plans to develop additional ice cream flavors that address concerns that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from speaking about openly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield stepped down his position at the company recently, after decades of involvement, citing concerns that the company's autonomy was compromised after Unilever's decision to restrict its social activism.

At that time, Ben Cohen remarked how “My partner has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to keep working within the organization to advocate for its independence so that the company can actualise the social mission, the principles which it was founded on while upholding for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations regarding political advocacy
• Independent product development from company founders
• Watermelon flavor serving as social statement
• Continuing disagreements between corporate ownership versus social mission