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One of the original creators of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has claimed how corporate owner Unilever blocked the introduction for a new Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, announced that he plans to personally create this new flavor within a personal series highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from speaking out about.

Longstanding Conflict Involving Creators and Parent Company

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

The co-founders have asserted that the parent company and their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Flavor as a Symbol of Support

Mr. Cohen revealed via an Instagram video that he is creating a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, asking for public suggestions regarding the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder stated in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for lasting ceasefire in Palestine and calls for repairing the damage that was done there.”

This particular fruit has emerged as a symbol of support for Palestinians because of its coloration, which match the colors in the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism plus Recent Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in Unilever transferring the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious dessert company which originally established several years back for endorsing former US presidential candidate Senator Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Shifts plus Upcoming Plans

The founder revealed how he plans to develop other frozen dessert varieties that address issues which the company was prevented from speaking about openly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement follows partner Mr. Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry's in September, following decades of involvement, mentioning worries that its independence had been compromised following corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Ben Cohen stated that "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to advocate for its independence ensuring that the company can fulfill its ethical purpose, the values that established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner restrictions on social activism
• Personal product development from original creators
• The fruit-based product as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements between corporate ownership and social mission