Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder States Parent Company Halted Palestine-Themed Ice Cream Flavor

One of the original creators of the famous ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has announced that parent company the multinational conglomerate prevented the launch for an innovative pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, that established the company with Jerry Greenfield, disclosed that he plans to personally create this new flavor within a personal series highlighting causes the company has been prevented from speaking out about.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Founders and Parent Company

This latest development deepens the continuing tension between the world-famous ice cream maker and its corporate parent, the UK-based packaged goods corporation which has owned Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

Both founders have asserted that the parent company along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

Watermelon Sorbet becoming an Emblem of Solidarity

The entrepreneur revealed through an Instagram video how he is creating a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas for naming options and potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen commented in a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based ice cream that calls for lasting ceasefire in Palestine and calls for addressing the harm that was done there.”

The watermelon has become a symbol for solidarity with Palestinians due to its colors, that mirror the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Historical Activism plus Recent Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of their merchandise in territories under Israeli control, leading to the parent company selling their Israel business over to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

The new product line will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company that was first created several years back to support ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the product "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Changes and Upcoming Plans

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

This development follows partner Jerry Greenfield resigned his position at the company recently, after many years with the organization, citing concerns that the company's autonomy had been undermined following corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated that "Jerry has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."

“My conscience compels me to continue to work within the organization to advocate for corporate autonomy so that it can actualise the social mission, the principles which established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations regarding social activism
• Personal flavor creation by original creators
• Watermelon flavor serving as social statement
• Ongoing tensions between corporate ownership versus social mission