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One of the original creators of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has announced that corporate owner Unilever stopped the introduction for a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, that established the business with Jerry Greenfield, announced that he will independently develop the controversial flavor within a personal series showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's was prevented from speaking out about.

Ongoing Dispute Between Founders and Parent Company

The recent development deepens the ongoing disagreement between the world-famous ice cream maker with Unilever, the British packaged goods giant that has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

Both founders maintain that Unilever along with its ice cream arm the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Flavor becoming a Symbol for Support

Mr. Cohen stated via an Instagram video how he's developing an innovative watermelon-based sorbet, requesting consumer ideas regarding the product's name and additional components.

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

The watermelon has emerged as an emblem of support for Palestinians due to its colors, which mirror the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism and Current Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell their merchandise in areas under Israeli control, resulting in Unilever selling the Israeli operation to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution in disputed territories.

This upcoming dessert series will be developed under Ben's Best, the socially conscious dessert company that originally established in 2016 to support ex- political contender Bernie Sanders with the product "Bernie's Return".

Management Changes and Upcoming Plans

The founder stated how he will develop other ice cream flavors focusing on concerns that the company was prevented from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

This development comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield stepped down from the company recently, after many years of involvement, citing concerns regarding how the company's autonomy was undermined after Unilever's decision to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Ben Cohen stated how "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to advocate for its independence so that the company can fulfill its ethical purpose, the principles which established its foundation while upholding for decades," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner restrictions on political advocacy
• Personal product development by original creators
• The fruit-based product serving as political symbol
• Ongoing disagreements among corporate ownership versus ethical values