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One of the co-founders behind the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has announced that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate blocked the introduction for an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the company alongside his partner, revealed how he plans to independently develop this new flavor as part of a personal collection highlighting causes the company has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Conflict Involving Founders and Corporate Owner

This latest announcement deepens the continuing tension between the internationally recognized dessert company and Unilever, the British packaged goods corporation that acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

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

Watermelon Flavor as an Emblem of Solidarity

The entrepreneur stated via an Instagram video that he's developing an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting consumer ideas regarding the product's name plus additional components.

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

The watermelon has emerged as an emblem for support for the Palestinian people due to its colors, that match those of Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Social Engagement and Recent Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company ceased sales of its products in territories under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company transferring their Israel business over to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing continued sales in disputed territories.

This upcoming dessert series is being developed under Ben's Best, the activist dessert company that originally established in 2016 to support former political contender Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Changes plus Future Intentions

The founder stated that he will create additional frozen dessert varieties focusing on issues that the company was prevented from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

This development follows co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy had been compromised following Unilever's decision to restrict their advocacy work.

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

"My heart leads me to keep working within the organization to advocate for its independence ensuring that it can achieve the social mission, the values that it was founded on and has maintained for decades," he told media outlets.

• Corporate owner restrictions regarding political advocacy
• Personal product development by original creators
• Watermelon flavor serving as social statement
• Ongoing disagreements between parent company and ethical values