Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield has resigned from the company after nearly 50 years, citing that the brand has lost its independence and accusing its parent company, Unilever, of silencing its social mission. This departure is part of a long-standing dispute between Ben & Jerry's and Unilever, particularly over the company's stance on social and political issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict intensified when Ben & Jerry's decided to stop selling its ice cream in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a decision that Unilever later overrode. Greenfield expressed that he could no longer "in good conscience" continue working for a company that has been muted by its parent company, which he feels has compromised the brand's commitment to justice, equality, and social activism. Meanwhile, his co-founder Ben Cohen remains with the company in an effort to uphold its independence from within. Ben & Jerry's is currently being spun off from Unilever into a new company called The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which plans to go public soon.