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The original creators behind the famous frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has claimed how parent company Unilever blocked the launch of an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, that co-founded the company with his partner, disclosed how he plans to independently develop the controversial product within a personal series showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's was barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Between Founders and Parent Company

The recent development intensifies the continuing tension between the world-famous dessert company with Unilever, the UK-based packaged goods corporation that acquired Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

The co-founders maintain that the parent company along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked their company from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming an Emblem of Solidarity

Mr. Cohen announced through an Instagram video how he's developing an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting consumer ideas for naming options plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they couldn't,” the founder declared in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has become an emblem for support for the Palestinian people because of its colors, that mirror those of Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism and Recent Developments

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas occupied by Israel, leading to the parent company transferring their Israel business over to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that was first created in 2016 for endorsing former political contender Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Changes and Upcoming Plans

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

This development follows co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down his position at the company recently, following many years with the organization, citing worries regarding how its independence was compromised after corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Mr. Cohen commented how "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was breaking it."

"My heart leads me to continue to work inside the company to fight for its independence so that it can achieve the social mission, the values that established its foundation while upholding for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations on social activism
• Personal flavor creation by company founders
• Watermelon flavor as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements between corporate ownership versus social mission