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The co-founders of the well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has stated that corporate owner Unilever stopped the introduction of a new pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, that co-founded the company with his partner, announced how he will personally create the controversial product within a personal collection highlighting issues the company has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Dispute Between Founders versus Parent Company

The recent announcement deepens the continuing disagreement between the internationally recognized dessert company with its corporate parent, the UK-based packaged goods corporation which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

Both founders have asserted how the parent company along with its ice cream arm the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked their company from "honouring its social mission".

The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol for Support

The entrepreneur announced through social media how he's developing a new watermelon-based sorbet, requesting public suggestions for naming options and potential ingredients.

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

The watermelon has become a symbol of support for Palestinians because of its colors, which closely resemble the colors in the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Historical Social Engagement and Current Changes

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell their merchandise in territories occupied by Israel, leading to Unilever transferring their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing ongoing distribution within disputed territories.

The new product line is being developed under Ben's Best, the socially conscious ice cream brand which was first created several years back for endorsing former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Management Shifts and Upcoming Plans

The founder stated that he plans to create other frozen dessert varieties that address issues that the company was silenced from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

The announcement follows partner Jerry Greenfield stepped down from the company recently, following decades of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy had been compromised after Unilever's decision to restrict their advocacy work.

Previously, Ben Cohen remarked that "Jerry has strong compassion and this conflict with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart compels me to continue to work within the organization to advocate for corporate autonomy so that it can fulfill the social mission, the principles that it was founded on while upholding for decades," he told media outlets.

• Parent company restrictions regarding social activism
• Personal flavor creation by company founders
• The fruit-based product as political symbol
• Continuing tensions among corporate ownership versus ethical values