🔗 Share this article

The original creators of the famous ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has claimed how corporate owner the multinational conglomerate stopped the launch of an innovative Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the business with his partner, revealed how he plans to independently develop the controversial flavor within a personal collection showcasing issues the company has been prevented from speaking out about.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Creators versus Parent Company

This latest announcement escalates the continuing tension between the world-famous dessert company and Unilever, the British consumer goods corporation which has owned the ice cream brand since 2000.

The co-founders have asserted how the parent company and its ice cream arm Magnum unlawfully blocked their company against "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Flavor becoming a Symbol for Solidarity

Mr. Cohen stated through an Instagram video how he is creating an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting public suggestions for naming options plus additional components.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol of support for the Palestinian people because of its coloration, that match those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism plus Recent Changes

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in Unilever transferring their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company which originally created several years back to support ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Management Changes plus Upcoming Intentions

Mr. Cohen indicated how he plans to develop other frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

The announcement follows co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned his position at the company in September, after many years of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy was compromised after Unilever's decision to restrict their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen remarked how “My partner has strong compassion and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

"My heart compels me to continue to work within the organization to advocate for its independence so that it can actualise the social mission, the values which it was founded on while upholding for over 40 years," he told media outlets.

• Corporate owner restrictions on political advocacy
• Personal flavor creation by original creators
• Watermelon flavor as political symbol
• Ongoing tensions among corporate ownership and social mission