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One of the co-founders behind the well-known frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has announced that parent company the multinational conglomerate prevented the launch of an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, that established the business alongside his partner, announced how he will independently develop the controversial flavor within a personal series showcasing issues Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Conflict Involving Founders and Corporate Owner

This latest development intensifies the continuing tension between the world-famous dessert company with Unilever, the British consumer goods corporation which acquired Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

The co-founders maintain how the parent company along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's against "honouring its social mission".

The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol of Solidarity

The entrepreneur announced through social media that he is creating a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas for the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for lasting ceasefire in Palestine while demanding addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian people because of its colors, that match the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Activism and Recent Developments

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of their merchandise in territories under Israeli control, leading to the parent company transferring the Israeli operation over to a local licensee, thereby permitting continued sales in disputed territories.

The new dessert series will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious dessert company which originally established several years back to support ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Management Changes and Future Plans

The founder stated how he plans to create additional frozen dessert varieties that address concerns which Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly due to Unilever.

The announcement comes after partner Mr. Greenfield stepped down from the company recently, after decades of involvement, citing worries that its independence had been undermined after corporate moves to curb 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 leads me to continue to work inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy so that the company can achieve the social mission, the values which it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he explained to media outlets.

• Parent company restrictions on political advocacy
• Independent product development from original creators
• Watermelon flavor serving as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements between parent company and social mission