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The co-founders behind the well-known frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has claimed that parent company Unilever blocked the introduction for a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, who co-founded the company alongside Jerry Greenfield, revealed that he plans to personally create this new flavor within an individual series showcasing issues the company has been prevented from speaking out about.

Ongoing Conflict Between Founders versus Parent Company

This latest development escalates the continuing conflict among the world-famous ice cream maker with its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods corporation which has owned the ice cream brand since 2000.

The co-founders maintain how the parent company and their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Flavor becoming an Emblem of Solidarity

Mr. Cohen stated via social media that he is creating an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, asking for consumer ideas regarding naming options and additional components.

“I'm doing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen declared in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that calls for permanent peace for Palestinians and calls for repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has become a symbol for support for Palestinians because of its coloration, that match the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Historical Social Engagement plus Current Changes

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell their merchandise in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in Unilever selling the Israeli operation to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious dessert company that originally created several years back for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Shifts and Upcoming Intentions

The founder stated that he will develop additional frozen dessert varieties focusing on issues that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly by corporate restrictions.

This development comes after partner Mr. Greenfield resigned his position at the company in September, following decades of involvement, mentioning concerns that the company's autonomy had been undermined following Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At that time, Mr. Cohen commented how “My partner has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was breaking it."

“My conscience compels me to continue to work within the organization to fight for corporate autonomy ensuring that it can actualise the social mission, the principles that it was founded on while upholding for decades," he explained to journalists.

• Parent company limitations regarding social activism
• Independent flavor creation from company founders
• The fruit-based product as social statement
• Continuing tensions between corporate ownership versus social mission