Ben & Jerry’s co-creator detained due to Gaza opposition
(MENAFN) Ben Cohen, co-founder of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company, was arrested along with six others on Wednesday for interrupting a U.S. Senate hearing to protest American support for Israel's military actions in Gaza.
The protest occurred during testimony by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As Cohen was escorted out by police, he shouted accusations against Congress, claiming they were funding bombs that kill children in Gaza while cutting Medicaid support for American kids. “Congress and the senators need to ease the siege – they need to let food into Gaza!” he yelled.
Cohen and the others were charged with “crowding, obstructing, and incommoding,” a misdemeanor offense that bans demonstrations inside congressional buildings.
Cohen, who co-founded Ben & Jerry’s—a company with an estimated $300 million in annual revenue—has a long history of activism, particularly on issues related to Israeli policies in Gaza and the West Bank. After his release, he posted on X (formerly Twitter), reiterating his message to Congress and sharing video footage of his arrest.
The protest highlights growing concern over U.S. military aid to Israel, which remains the top recipient of American arms. According to Brown University’s Costs of War Project, the U.S. provided Israel with $17.9 billion in military aid between October 2023 and October 2024.
Since President Donald Trump’s return to office in January, his administration has approved nearly $12 billion in weapons sales to Israel, including a $7.4 billion deal in February and another $3 billion package in March.
Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza began after a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that killed more than 1,100 people and resulted in over 200 hostages. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military operation that has resulted in over 60,000 deaths, according to Palestinian sources, with many more injured or unaccounted for.
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