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One of the co-founders behind the famous frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has announced that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate blocked the introduction for a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, that established the company alongside his partner, disclosed that he will independently develop the controversial product as part of a personal collection highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's has been barred from speaking out about.

Ongoing Dispute Between Founders and Parent Company

This latest development deepens the continuing disagreement between the internationally recognized dessert company with Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods giant which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders have asserted that the parent company along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's from "honouring its social mission".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming a Symbol for Support

The entrepreneur announced via an Instagram video that he is creating a new watermelon-based sorbet, requesting consumer ideas regarding the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated from his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-based frozen dessert that calls for permanent peace in Palestine while demanding repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

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

Historical Social Engagement plus Current Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company ceased sales of their merchandise in areas occupied by Israel, leading to Unilever transferring the Israeli operation over to a local licensee, thus allowing continued sales within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series will be created through Ben's Best, the socially conscious ice cream brand that originally established several years back for endorsing former political contender Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Shifts and Upcoming Intentions

The founder stated that he plans to create other frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns which the company was silenced from addressing publicly by Unilever.

The announcement follows partner Mr. Greenfield stepped down his position at the company recently, after many years of involvement, citing concerns that the company's autonomy was compromised following corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen remarked how "Jerry has strong compassion and this conflict with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to keep working inside the company to fight for its independence ensuring that the company can fulfill the social mission, the values which established its foundation while upholding for decades," he told media outlets.

• Parent company limitations on political advocacy
• Independent flavor creation by company founders
• Watermelon flavor as political symbol
• Ongoing tensions among corporate ownership and social mission