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The original creators of the well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has announced that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate blocked the launch of an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, that established the company alongside his partner, announced that he plans to independently develop this new product as part of a personal collection highlighting causes the company was prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Dispute Between Founders and Corporate Owner

This latest announcement escalates the continuing conflict among the world-famous dessert company with Unilever, the British packaged goods giant which has owned the ice cream brand for over two decades.

Both founders maintain how Unilever and its ice cream arm the Magnum brand improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

Watermelon Sorbet becoming a Symbol for Support

Mr. Cohen stated through an Instagram video that he is creating a new watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting public suggestions regarding the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen commented in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire in Palestine while demanding addressing the harm that was done there.”

The watermelon has become a symbol for support for Palestinians due to its colors, that mirror those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism plus Recent Developments

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell their merchandise in areas occupied by Israel, leading to the parent company selling their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing ongoing distribution within disputed territories.

The new product line will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company which originally created in 2016 for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Changes plus Future Plans

The founder stated how he will create other ice cream flavors that address concerns which the company was silenced from speaking about openly due to corporate restrictions.

This development follows co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned from the company in September, after decades with the organization, mentioning worries regarding how its independence had been compromised following corporate moves to curb its social activism.

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

“My conscience leads me to continue to work inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy so that the company can achieve the social mission, the values which established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he told media outlets.

• Parent company limitations on political advocacy
• Personal product development by company founders
• The fruit-based product serving as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements between parent company versus ethical values