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One of the co-founders behind the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has announced that parent company the multinational conglomerate prevented the introduction of an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, that co-founded the business with his partner, announced that he will personally create this new flavor within a personal collection showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's was barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Between Creators and Corporate Owner

This latest announcement deepens the continuing conflict between the internationally recognized ice cream maker and Unilever, the British consumer goods corporation which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders have asserted that the parent company and its ice cream arm the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Sorbet as an Emblem of Support

Mr. Cohen announced through an Instagram video that he's developing an innovative watermelon-based sorbet, asking for public suggestions regarding naming options plus additional components.

“I'm doing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen commented from a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that calls for permanent peace for Palestinians 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 colors, which mirror the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism and Recent Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in territories under Israeli control, resulting in Unilever selling their Israel business to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution in disputed territories.

This upcoming product line is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that originally established several years back for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders with the product "Bernie's Back".

Management Shifts and Future Plans

The founder indicated how he plans to create other ice cream flavors that address issues that the company was silenced from speaking about openly due to corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield stepped down from the company in September, after decades with the organization, mentioning concerns that the company's autonomy was undermined following corporate moves to curb its social activism.

Previously, Ben Cohen commented how "Jerry has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to keep working within the organization to fight for corporate autonomy ensuring that it can actualise the social mission, the principles which it was founded on and has maintained for decades," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations on social activism
• Personal product development from original creators
• The fruit-based product as political symbol
• Ongoing tensions between parent company and ethical values