Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Claims Unilever Blocked Palestine-Themed Ice Cream Flavor

Sat Dec 20 2025 10:52:28 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a controversial move, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, states that Unilever prevented the launch of a Palestine-themed ice cream flavor, leading to his plan to independently develop a new product highlighting social causes.

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, has accused Unilever of blocking the launch of an ice cream flavor intended to express solidarity with Palestine. Cohen plans to create the flavor independently as part of a series focused on causes that the company had been restricted from addressing publicly. Unilever maintains that the timing for such a product is not right and highlights its ongoing commitment to community-focused campaigns. The watermelon flavor Cohen intends to develop draws on symbols of solidarity with Palestine.

The co-founder of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's, Ben Cohen, has revealed that Unilever, the parent company, blocked a proposed ice cream flavor intended to express solidarity with Palestine. This controversy has arisen as Cohen announced his plans to develop this new flavor independently as part of a series that will spotlight causes that the Ben & Jerry's brand has been barred from addressing.

Ben & Jerry's has gained a reputation for its social activism over the years, advocating on numerous political, environmental, and humanitarian issues, including the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. In response to the allegations, a spokesperson from Unilever's Magnum Ice Cream Company stated that they had determined now is not the right time to invest in developing this product.

Cohen's allegations amplify an ongoing dispute between the renowned ice cream company and Unilever, which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000. Cohen and fellow co-founder Jerry Greenfield contend that Unilever and its Magnum brand unlawfully obstructed their mission to maintain the social activism at the core of the Ben & Jerry's brand.

Unilever responded by indicating that the company would continue to focus on impactful campaigns that resonate within its communities, including efforts for better conditions in refugee housing in the UK and protection of free speech rights in the US.

Cohen stated in an Instagram video that he is creating a watermelon-flavored sorbet and is crowdsourcing ideas for its name. The choice of watermelon is significant as its colors echo those of the Palestinian flag—red, green, black, and white.

In his video, he noted, I'm doing what they couldn't, and described the watermelon ice cream as a message calling for peace in Palestine and addressing the suffering endured there. This new product is to be launched under his own activist brand, Ben's Best, which he established to support social issues.

Mr. Cohen's determination to create flavors that promote messages aligned with Ben & Jerry's original mission continues a legacy of social responsiveness that he argues has been hindered by Unilever's decisions.