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The original creators of the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has stated how corporate owner the multinational conglomerate blocked the launch of a new Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, that established the company with Jerry Greenfield, disclosed that he will independently develop the controversial product as part of a personal collection showcasing causes the company has been barred from speaking out about.

Longstanding Conflict Between Founders and Parent Company

The recent development escalates the continuing disagreement among the internationally recognized ice cream maker and its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods corporation that has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

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

The Fruit Sorbet becoming an Emblem of Support

The entrepreneur announced via an Instagram video that he's developing an innovative watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas for the product's name and potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder stated from his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored ice cream that advocates for lasting ceasefire in Palestine while demanding repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

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

Previous Activism plus Recent Changes

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

This upcoming dessert series will be developed under Ben's Best, the socially conscious ice cream brand which was first established in 2016 to support former US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Changes and Future Plans

The founder stated how he plans to develop additional frozen dessert varieties that address concerns which the company was prevented from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

This development follows partner Jerry Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years with the organization, citing concerns that its independence was compromised following corporate moves to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated that “My partner has strong compassion and this conflict with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to continue to work inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy ensuring 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 limitations regarding social activism
• Independent flavor creation from original creators
• Watermelon flavor as social statement
• Ongoing disagreements among parent company versus social mission