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The co-founders behind the famous ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has stated how corporate owner the multinational conglomerate prevented the launch for a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, that co-founded the company with Jerry Greenfield, disclosed how he will independently develop the controversial flavor within an individual collection highlighting issues Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Founders and Parent Company

This latest development deepens the continuing disagreement between the world-famous dessert company and its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods corporation which acquired Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

Both founders maintain that Unilever along with its ice cream arm Magnum unlawfully blocked their company against "honouring its social mission".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming a Symbol of Solidarity

Mr. Cohen announced through social media that he's developing a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions for the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire in Palestine while demanding addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has become a symbol of support for Palestinians because of its coloration, that mirror the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism plus Current Developments

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in areas under Israeli control, leading to the parent company transferring their Israel business to a local licensee, thereby permitting ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious ice cream brand which originally created in 2016 for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Changes and Upcoming Plans

The founder stated how he plans to create additional ice cream flavors that address concerns which Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly by Unilever.

This development follows co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down from the company recently, after many years with the organization, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy had been compromised following corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Ben Cohen stated how “My partner has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to continue to work inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy so that the company can actualise the social mission, the values which it was founded on while upholding for decades," he explained to journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations on political advocacy
• Personal flavor creation by company founders
• Watermelon flavor serving as political symbol
• Ongoing tensions between corporate ownership versus ethical values