Thu May 15 02:11:20 UTC 2025: ## Ben & Jerry’s Cofounder Arrested Protesting Gaza War at Senate Hearing

**Washington D.C.** – Ben Cohen, cofounder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested along with six other individuals on Wednesday after disrupting a Senate hearing where US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was testifying. The protesters were demonstrating against US support for Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

Cohen was apprehended as he shouted accusations that Congress was “killing poor kids in Gaza” by funding military aid to Israel while simultaneously cutting Medicaid funding in the US. According to a statement from US Capitol Police, the charges against the seven individuals include “crowding, obstructing or incommoding,” assault of a police officer, and resisting arrest. Cohen himself faces only the charge of crowding, obstructing or incommoding, a misdemeanor with a potential penalty of 90 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both.

Cohen and his longtime business partner Jerry Greenfield are known for their progressive activism, including vocal opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Earlier this month, Cohen characterized the US relationship with Israel as a “strange relationship” that involves Washington “supplying weapons for its genocide” during an interview.

“Right now, what it means to be American is that we are the world’s largest arms exporter, we have the largest military in the world, we support the slaughter of people in Gaza,” Cohen stated.

This is not the first time Ben & Jerry’s has waded into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2021, the company announced it would no longer allow its Israeli licensee to sell its ice cream in the West Bank and Gaza, citing incompatibility with their values. The decision led to legal battles and ultimately a settlement with its parent company, Unilever.

The Gaza conflict has resulted in a significant loss of life, with over 51,000 Palestinians killed since Israel launched its war in response to the October 7th attacks by Hamas. The arrests highlight the growing tension and protests surrounding US foreign policy in the region.

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