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One of the co-founders of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has announced how parent company Unilever prevented the launch of a new pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the company alongside Jerry Greenfield, revealed that he plans to personally create the controversial product as part of a personal collection highlighting causes the company has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Involving Founders versus Corporate Owner

This latest development deepens the continuing tension between the world-famous dessert company and its corporate parent, the British packaged goods giant that has owned Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

The co-founders maintain that Unilever along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

Watermelon Flavor as an Emblem for Solidarity

The entrepreneur announced through social media that he's developing an innovative watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions for the product's name and additional components.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that was done there.”

This particular fruit has emerged as an emblem for solidarity with Palestinians because of its coloration, that mirror those of the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Social Engagement plus Recent Changes

Several years ago, the ice cream company ceased sales of their merchandise in areas under Israeli control, leading to the parent company selling the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing ongoing distribution in the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming product line will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand which was first created several years back to support former political contender Bernie Sanders with the product "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Changes plus Upcoming Plans

Mr. Cohen revealed that he plans to create additional ice cream flavors focusing on concerns that Ben & Jerry's was silenced from speaking about openly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after partner Jerry Greenfield stepped down his position at the company in September, following decades of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy was undermined after Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At that time, Ben Cohen remarked how "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart leads me to keep working within the organization to fight for corporate autonomy so that the company can achieve the social mission, the principles which it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he explained to journalists.

• Parent company limitations on social activism
• Personal product development by original creators
• The fruit-based product as social statement
• Ongoing tensions between corporate ownership and social mission