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The original creators of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has stated that parent company Unilever blocked the launch for an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, that established the company with his partner, revealed how he will independently develop this new flavor within an individual collection highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from speaking out about.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Creators and Corporate Owner

The recent development intensifies the ongoing conflict between the world-famous dessert company and its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods corporation which acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

Both founders have claimed that Unilever and its ice cream arm Magnum unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming a Symbol for Support

The entrepreneur stated through an Instagram video how he is creating a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas regarding the product's name and potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that advocates for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has become an emblem of support for the Palestinian people because of its colors, which match the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Previous Social Engagement and Recent Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of their merchandise in territories under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company selling their Israel business to a local licensee, thus allowing continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming product line is being developed under Ben's Best, the socially conscious ice cream brand that originally established in 2016 for endorsing former political contender Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Shifts and Future Intentions

Mr. Cohen indicated how he will develop other frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns which the company was silenced from addressing publicly by Unilever.

This development comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned his position at the company in September, following many years with the organization, citing worries that the company's autonomy was undermined following corporate moves to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Ben Cohen commented that “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to continue to work within the organization to advocate for its independence ensuring that it can fulfill its ethical purpose, the principles which it was founded on and has maintained for decades," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations regarding social activism
• Independent product development from company founders
• The fruit-based product as social statement
• Continuing tensions among corporate ownership versus ethical values