Ben & Jerry's co-founder says Unilever blocked Palestine-themed ice cream

Ben Cohen says he will independently create the new watermelon flavour in support of "permanent peace in Palestine".

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveBen & Jerry's co-founder says Unilever blocked Palestine-themed ice cream1 day agoShareSaveOsmond ChiaBusiness reporterShareSaveGetty ImagesJerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen handing out free ice cream to encourage people to voteThe co-founder of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's says that its parent company Unilever blocked it from launching an ice cream flavour that expressed "solidarity with Palestine".

Ben Cohen announced that he will independently create the new flavour as part of a personal series highlighting causes the company has been barred from addressing publicly.

Ben & Jerry's is known for its activism on social issues and has consistently spoken out on political, environmental and humanitarian matters - including the Israel-Gaza conflict.

A spokesperson for the Magnum Ice Cream Company, Unilever's ice cream arm, said it had determined that "now is not the right time to invest in developing this product".

Mr Cohen's statement deepens the long-drawn dispute between the world-famous ice cream maker and Unilever, the British packaged goods giant which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.