Ben & Jerry’s founder says Palestine-inspired watermelon ice cream flavour blocked

The co-founder of the internationally-loved ice cream business Ben & Jerry’s, Ben Cohen, accused the parent company of the brand of blocking his proposal for a flavour that would support Palestine.

In the video, the 74-year-old, who is known for championing many human rights causes, said that the Unilever/Magnum conglomerate blocked his team from creating a watermelon-flavoured ice cream, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, and call for an end to the brutal war on Gaza.

"They were stopped by Unilever/ Magnum...just like when Ben & Jerry’s tried to stop selling ice cream in the occupied territories, they were blocked again by their parent company," he said.

Both Cohen and Jerry Greenfield sold their company to Unilever in 2000, but the deal stipulated that they would retain independence in their social mission and values. The brand has always been socially conscious, supporting various issues, including environmental protection, human rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.

He ended the video by hinting that he is now working independently on creating a flavour that would call for peace in Palestine and demand justice and dignity for all people.

He can be seen mixing flavours in a large bowl, with watermelons around it, before saying: "I'm making a watermelon-flavoured ice cream that calls for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for repairing all the damage that was done there".

"I'm doing this to shine a light on the experience of Palestinian people and children in particular. So, the world does not look the other way," he added.

During the short video posted on his Instagram page, he also shed light on the dire humanitarian situation caused by Israel in Gaza.

He explains that for the last two years, Palestinians, especially children, have lived through unimaginable conditions amid Israel’s brutal offensive and occupation.

A spokesperson from The Magnum Ice Cream Company told The New Arab, "the independent members of the Ben & Jerry's board of directors made a proposal in this direction this summer".

"The independent members of Ben & Jerry's Board are not, and have never been, responsible for the Ben & Jerry’s commercial strategy and execution. Recommendations are considered by Ben & Jerry's leadership, and Ben & Jerry’s management has determined it is not the right time to invest in developing this product," the spokesperson added.

Israel’s war on Gaza, which started in October 2023, has killed over 68,527 Palestinians, wounded over 170,395 others and devastated the enclave. It has been determined to be a genocide by leading rights groups and the UN.

Unilever / Magnum stopped Ben & Jerry’s from creating a flavor for Palestine — so I’m doing it
myself.
I’ve got a watermelon, an empty pint, and I need your help:
Name the flavor or suggest ingredients
Or design the pint packaging
Tag @yobencohen, @MagnumGlobal use… pic.twitter.com/L3h6Z4Hzw6

— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) October 28, 2025

Greenfield left the company in September, citing the stifling of their independence by Unilever.

In a letter to the company, which has since been widely shared online, he said that Ben & Jerry’s had lost "the independence to pursue our values".

Greenfield was met with a massive global outpour of support for his stance, with thousands encouraging him at the time to start a new brand of ice cream.

The co-founders have been vocal about Israel’s war on Gaza and the occupation of Palestinians, with both objecting to the business operating in settlements in the occupied West Bank, and stopping operations there in 2021.

The company sued Unilever in 2021, stating it had silenced their attempts to express support for a ceasefire in Gaza and support for displaced Palestinians.

Cohen was also arrested in May after he protested over the US giving military aid to Israel for the war on Gaza. He said he could not call himself American without putting his "body on the line" over the matter.