One of the anti-Israel founders of the ice-cream company Ben & Jerry’s is striking out on his own over a politically charged frozen treat.
Ben Cohen announced on Tuesday that he is making a watermelon-flavored sorbet with a theme of “peace in Palestine.” He said that parent company Unilever and its ice-cream spinoff, Magnum, “stopped Ben & Jerry’s from creating a flavor for Palestine.”
“I’m doing what they couldn’t,” Cohen said, sharing a video of himself crushing watermelons into juice. “I’m making a watermelon-flavored ice-cream that calls for permanent peace in Palestine and for repairing all the damage that was done there.”
The watermelon has become a symbol of support for Palestinians and for “Palestine,” its supporters say, although most countries don’t recognize such a state. The melon’s red, green and white color scheme mirrors the palette of the Palestinian flag.
Cohen invited followers to submit ideas for ingredients and container designs and to tag “Justice for Palestine,” and Unilever and Magnum in their replies. Some users responded with artificial intelligence-generated designs for flavors like “terror misu” and “mintifada.”
Cohen’s move is the latest chapter in a rocky relationship between the Vermont-based ice-cream brand and its corporate parent.
Tensions churned in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would halt sales in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Unilever countered by selling the Israeli license, leading to years of legal and public spats.
In 2024, Ben & Jerry’s independent board sued Unilever, accusing it of silencing pro-Palestinian messaging and firing longtime CEO David Stever without board approval.
Cohen and co-founder Jerry Greenfield, who sold their company to Unilever for $326 million in 2000, have accused the conglomerate of “muzzling” their values.
Despite the founders’ repeated offers to buy back the brand, Unilever has said it has no plans to sell.
