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One of the co-founders of the famous frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has announced how parent company Unilever stopped the introduction of a new Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, revealed that he will independently develop the controversial product as part of an individual series highlighting issues the company was prevented from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Dispute Between Founders versus Corporate Owner

This latest announcement deepens the continuing tension between the internationally recognized ice cream maker with Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods corporation that has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

Both founders have asserted how the parent company and their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked their company against "maintaining its activist principles".

Watermelon Flavor as a Symbol for Solidarity

The entrepreneur revealed via an Instagram video that he's developing a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas for the product's name and potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder stated from his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that calls for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that was done there.”

The watermelon has emerged as an emblem for solidarity with the Palestinian people due to its colors, which mirror those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism and Current Changes

Several years ago, the ice cream company ceased sales of their merchandise in areas under Israeli control, resulting in Unilever selling their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming product line will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that originally created several years back to support ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Changes and Future Plans

The founder stated how he plans to develop additional ice cream flavors that address concerns which the company was silenced from speaking about openly due to Unilever.

The announcement comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's in September, following decades with the organization, mentioning concerns regarding how its independence was undermined following corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen remarked that "Jerry has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

"My heart compels me to continue to work within the organization to fight for its independence so that it can achieve its ethical purpose, the values that it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations regarding political advocacy
• Independent product development from original creators
• The fruit-based product as social statement
• Continuing disagreements among corporate ownership and social mission