Ben & Jerry’s founder defies Unilever with new watermelon sorbet for Palestine
Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has taken a stand for Palestine by launching a watermelon-flavoured sorbet after Unilever blocked his previous efforts.
Image: Unsplash
Ben Cohen, co-founder of the iconic ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s has announced the launch of a watermelon-flavoured sorbet in solidarity with Palestine, after the brand’s parent company, Unilever/Magnum, had blocked them from creating under the Ben & Jerry’s brand.
The sorbet, he says, is meant to “call for permanent peace in Palestine” and it marks yet another twist in the public rift between Cohen and Unilever, who bought the brand in 2000.
The flavour, the symbol and the ethics
Cohen revealed in a video on X (formerly Twitter) that he is squashing watermelons in his kitchen and inviting followers to submit suggestions for ingredients and container design for his new independent sorbet launch.
The choice of watermelon is no accident: its red, green, black and white hues have become emblematic of Palestinian solidarity on social media and at protests - mirroring the colours of the Palestinian flag.
He said: “I’m making what they couldn’t” (referring to Unilever) and pledged that the flavour will “call for permanent peace in Palestine and call for repairing all the damage that was done there.”
The idea of a Palestine-themed flavour was proposed but the management of Unilever refused to invest in it.
Why the dispute with Unilever?
The tension between Cohen and his fellow co-founder Jerry Greenfield and Unilever has deepened over years.
In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, a move that sparked legal and commercial push-back.
Over time the founders have alleged that Unilever has suppressed the brand’s ability to speak out on social justice, human rights and political issues.
In September 2025, Greenfield resigned, saying he could no longer in good conscience remain part of a company that he felt had lost its independence.
Now Cohen has begun a “crowdsourcing” initiative for the new sorbet, asking supporters to help name it and design the packaging.
He is doing this via his independent “Ben’s Best” label, allowing him to bypass Unilever.
The next steps to watch
The sorbet is still in the development phase. Cohen has yet to commit to large-scale commercial distribution, and the precise timing, scope and pricing remain unclear.
From a the public's perspective this could be interesting: if Cohen’s initiative finds traction, will it draw support among retailers and will there be broader implications for how global brands operate in markets with strong consumer activism and ethical expectations?
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