Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and longtime activist, was arrested for protesting the killing of children in Gaza during a US Senate hearing. Speaking to AFP, Cohen said he was voicing the outrage of millions of Americans over the “slaughter” in Gaza.
At the hearing, Cohen and six other protesters interrupted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony on the department’s budget. They shouted, “Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US.”
Cohen, 74, was handcuffed by Capitol Police and charged with “crowding, obstructing or incommoding,” a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine.
As he was led away, Cohen urged senators to pressure Israel to allow food aid to reach “starving kids” in Gaza. He criticized the US government for approving $20 billion in military aid to Israel while cutting social programs at home. “The majority of Americans hate what’s going on, what our country is doing with our money and in our name,” he said.
Cohen framed the issue as a moral and spiritual crisis, condemning US complicity in the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza. He highlighted that nearly half of the US discretionary budget goes to war-related spending and argued that investing in global welfare could reduce conflict.
A vocal critic of Israeli policies, Cohen previously joined Jewish leaders opposing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC and has spoken out about the US’s role in supplying weapons to Israel. In a recent interview, he called the US-Israel relationship “strange” and questioned what America stands for when protesters against Gaza’s suffering are arrested.
Ben & Jerry’s itself has taken a stand, announcing in 2021 that it would stop selling ice cream in the West Bank and Gaza, citing inconsistency with its values. The company later sued its parent firm, Unilever, over the firing of a CEO who supported its social mission.
The conflict has resulted in over 51,000 deaths in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with the region facing a severe humanitarian crisis. A UN-backed monitor warns that Gaza is at “critical risk of famine,” with 22 percent of the population in a state of humanitarian catastrophe due to an ongoing Israeli aid blockade.
All the goodhearted people’s of world included Cohen are mad about gaza.