The original creators of the famous ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has announced how corporate owner the multinational conglomerate prevented the launch of an innovative Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.
The entrepreneur, that co-founded the business with his partner, announced that he plans to personally create the controversial flavor as part of an individual collection showcasing issues Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from addressing publicly.
The recent development deepens the ongoing tension among the internationally recognized dessert company and its corporate parent, the UK-based packaged goods corporation which acquired Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.
Both founders have asserted that Unilever along with its ice cream arm Magnum unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".
Mr. Cohen revealed through social media that he's developing a new watermelon-based sorbet, asking for public suggestions regarding the product's name and additional components.
“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder commented in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”
This particular fruit has emerged as a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians due to its colors, that closely resemble the colors in the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.
In 2021, the ice cream company ceased sales of their merchandise in areas under Israeli control, leading to the parent company selling their Israel business over to a local licensee, thereby permitting continued sales within the occupied West Bank.
This upcoming dessert series is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious ice cream brand which was first created in 2016 for endorsing former US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".
The founder indicated that he plans to develop additional frozen dessert varieties focusing on issues that the company was prevented from speaking about openly due to corporate restrictions.
The announcement comes after partner Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years of involvement, mentioning worries that the company's autonomy had been undermined after corporate moves to restrict its social activism.
At that time, Mr. Cohen commented how “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with Unilever was breaking it."
"My heart compels me to continue to work within the organization to fight for its independence ensuring that it can achieve the social mission, the principles which established its foundation while upholding for decades," he explained to journalists.
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