Ben & Jerry’s co-founder says Unilever blocked ‘Palestine flavour’ – so he’s making it himself

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen has claimed that parent company Unilever prevented the ice cream brand from creating a pro-Palestinian flavour – prompting him to pursue the idea on his own and crowdsource recipe suggestions from the public.

In a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Cohen said the proposed watermelon-based flavour – referencing a widely used symbol of the Palestinian cause – was stopped at corporate level. “Unilever / Magnum stopped Ben & Jerry’s from creating a flavour for Palestine – so I’m doing it myself,” he wrote.

Holding a watermelon and empty pint container, he told followers: “The scale of the suffering of the Palestinian people over the last two years has been unimaginable… Palestinian children deserve dignity, safety and the same rights that every human being should have.” He added that the project’s purpose was to “shine a light” on the need for “peace, justice, and dignity for everyone”.

Cohen, who is Jewish, remains involved with Ben & Jerry’s, though fellow co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down last month after reported disagreements with Unilever over the brand’s activism. Ben & Jerry’s has long tied its marketing to political and social campaigns, but there have been persistent tensions with the multinational since its 2000 acquisition – including a failed attempt to halt sales in parts of the West Bank, which Cohen also said was blocked.

Earlier this year, Cohen was arrested after interrupting a US congressional hearing with slogans about the Gaza war.

Unilever has not publicly responded to Cohen’s latest claims.