K A S H R U T . C O M_©

October 29, 2025 from Israel National News:

"Ben Cohen, co-founder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, says that parent company Unilever prevented the company from launching a new flavour intended to show solidarity with Palestine, BBC reports.

"Cohen announced that he will move forward independently with the project, creating the flavour as part of a personal series highlighting social causes that he claims Ben & Jerry’s has been barred from addressing publicly.

"Ben & Jerry’s, long recognized for its outspoken stance on political, environmental, and humanitarian issues - including the Israel-Gaza conflict - has often found itself at odds with Unilever, which purchased the brand in 2000.

"According to Cohen, both Unilever and its soon-to-be-separated ice cream division, Magnum, have “unlawfully blocked” Ben & Jerry’s from fulfilling its social mission.

"In a video posted on Instagram on Tuesday, Cohen revealed that he is developing a watermelon-flavoured sorbet and invited suggestions for the product’s name and ingredients. The watermelon has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians because its red, green, black, and white colours mirror those of the Palestinian flag.

"The new flavour will be part of Cohen’s activist brand, Ben’s Best, which operates separately from Ben & Jerry’s. In a press statement, Cohen said the flavour will be produced independently and will represent issues the original company was prevented from addressing.

"The rift between the co-founders and Unilever has widened in recent months. In September, Jerry Greenfield, the company’s other co-founder, stepped down, saying that Ben & Jerry’s independence had been compromised by Unilever’s efforts to limit its activism."