Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder to Launch Palestine-Themed Ice Cream After Unilever Blocks Idea

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has announced plans to create a new watermelon-flavored sorbet in support of Palestine, after Unilever, the company’s parent, blocked Ben & Jerry’s from doing so. The move comes amid an ongoing feud between the ice cream brand’s founders and Unilever, as the company seeks to control the social activism that Ben & Jerry’s has long championed.

Cohen, speaking from his kitchen in an Instagram video, shared his decision to independently create the product under his own brand, Ben's Best, which is produced independently from Ben & Jerry’s. The watermelon-flavored ice cream is set to be a small-batch release and will not be sold commercially. Cohen is also asking the public to help name the flavor and suggest ingredients for the product as part of an interactive campaign. 

This follows Unilever's refusal to move forward with the proposed Palestine solidarity flavor, which Cohen says was approved by the independent board of Ben & Jerry's but ultimately blocked by Unilever’s Magnum division.

“I’m doing what they couldn’t,” Cohen said, explaining that the watermelon-flavored ice cream would serve as a call for "permanent peace in Palestine" and for repairing the damage done in the region. The watermelon has become a symbol of solidarity for Palestine, with its colors mirroring those of the Palestinian flag—red, green, black, and white.

This is the latest chapter in the long-standing tensions between Ben & Jerry’s and its corporate owner, Unilever. Since Unilever’s acquisition of Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, the company’s founders have repeatedly clashed with the corporate giant over its influence on the brand's social mission. Cohen has often argued that Unilever has compromised the company’s ability to speak out on key social issues, including its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s made headlines for refusing to sell ice cream in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, a decision that led to a legal dispute when Unilever sold its stake in the Israeli business to a local licensee.

Cohen’s frustration with Unilever escalated recently, especially after co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry’s in September following concerns over the company’s independence. In a statement at the time, Cohen explained that the dispute with Unilever was "breaking" Greenfield’s heart, a sentiment that underscored the deepening rift between the two co-founders and the corporation. Cohen continues to advocate for Ben & Jerry’s to regain full independence, with plans to sell the brand to socially-aligned investors.

Despite the ongoing conflict, Unilever has maintained that it remains committed to preserving Ben & Jerry’s social mission, emphasizing that the company’s independent board is not responsible for its commercial strategy. A spokesperson from Magnum reiterated that while Ben & Jerry’s has made various proposals, the company decided that "now is not the right time to invest in developing this product."

Cohen’s activism isn’t new. In the past, Ben & Jerry’s has released several flavors to support social causes, such as "Save Our Swirled" for climate change awareness and "I Dough, I Dough" in support of same-sex marriage. Cohen has long used the ice cream brand to amplify causes he believes in, but it seems Unilever’s influence has increasingly hindered such efforts.

Cohen is now pushing for a new chapter in the company’s legacy, where its social mission is no longer restricted by corporate interests. His Ben's Best brand, which also supported Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential run, will continue to be a platform for activism, with Cohen promising more flavors that speak to the issues Ben & Jerry’s was silenced from addressing publicly.