Ben Cohen, the outspoken co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, announced he is moving forward with an independent watermelon-flavored ice cream project after alleging that the brand's parent company, the UK-based Unilever, blocked the idea. The new venture is explicitly intended to show solidarity with Gaza and advocate for peace.
Cohen took to Instagram to share the news, directly challenging the corporate decision.
“I’m doing what they [Ben & Jerry’s] couldn’t," Cohen stated. "I’m making a watermelon ice cream that calls for permanent peace in Palestine and to call for repairing the damage that was done there... so the world does not look the other way.”
The use of a watermelon theme is significant, as the fruit has become a widespread symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance. Cohen is crowdsourcing the creative process, inviting the public to help name the new flavor and decide on its ingredients, suggesting a tone of grassroots activism.
“Revolutions are creative. Let’s see some of that creativity,” Cohen urged. Initial suggestions posted by followers included the names "Sweet resistance" and "from the river to the seeds."
