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The original creators of the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has stated how corporate owner the multinational conglomerate prevented the launch for an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, who co-founded the business with Jerry Greenfield, revealed how he will independently develop the controversial flavor as part of a personal collection showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's has been barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Dispute Between Creators versus Parent Company

The recent development deepens the continuing disagreement between the world-famous ice cream maker with its corporate parent, the UK-based packaged goods giant which has owned Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

The co-founders have claimed how the parent company along with its ice cream arm Magnum unlawfully blocked their company from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Flavor as a Symbol for Solidarity

The entrepreneur stated through an Instagram video that he is creating an innovative watermelon-based sorbet, asking for public suggestions regarding the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen declared from his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for lasting ceasefire in Palestine while demanding repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as an emblem for solidarity with the Palestinian people because of its coloration, which closely resemble the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism and Recent Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in Unilever transferring the Israeli operation over to a local licensee, thus allowing continued sales within disputed territories.

The new product line is being developed under Ben's Best, the activist dessert company which was first established in 2016 for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the product "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Shifts and Upcoming Plans

The founder indicated that he will develop additional frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns that Ben & Jerry's was silenced from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned his position at Ben & Jerry's in September, after decades with the organization, citing worries regarding how the company's autonomy was undermined following Unilever's decision to restrict its social activism.

At that time, Ben Cohen remarked that "Jerry has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to continue to work inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy so that it can achieve its ethical purpose, the principles that established its foundation and has maintained for over 40 years," he told media outlets.

• Parent company limitations regarding social activism
• Personal flavor creation from original creators
• The fruit-based product serving as political symbol
• Continuing tensions among parent company and social mission