Watch: Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Arrested for Antisemitic Outburst at Senate Hearing

Ben Cohen, the 74-year-old co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, notorious for his anti-Israel activism, was arrested on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, after disrupting a Senate hearing featuring Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s budget testimony. Cohen, one of seven protesters removed by Capitol Police, brought proceedings to a standstill with inflammatory accusations against U.S. support for Israel’s defense operations in Gaza. As he was led away in handcuffs, he shouted, “You’re killing poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by cutting Medicaid for kids here,” and urged senators to “let food into Gaza” for “starving kids,” perpetuating a narrative that vilifies Israel while ignoring the complexities of the conflict and Hamas’s role in Gaza’s humanitarian challenges.

Cohen’s actions reflect his long-standing anti-Semitic stance, often cloaked in criticism of Israeli policy. Earlier that day, he attended a pro-Hamas event alongside “Squad” Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, and last year, he signed an open letter opposing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. After his release, Cohen told reporters, “It got to a point where we had to do something,” claiming, “If you spent half of that money making lives better around the world, I think there’d be a whole lot less friction.” He labeled U.S. approval of “$20 billion worth of bombs” for Israel as “scandalizing” amid domestic social program cuts, adding, “The majority of Americans hate what’s going on, what our country is doing with our money and in our name. Condoning and being complicit in the slaughter of tens of thousands of people strikes at the core of us as far as human beings and what our country stands for.”

Posting a video of the incident on social media, Cohen wrote, “I told Congress they’re killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they’re paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities’ response.” According to NBC News, the other six protesters faced charges of resisting arrest and assault on an officer. Cohen’s rhetoric aligns with a growing anti-Israel sentiment, as a Pew Research Center poll shows 53% of Americans now hold negative views toward Israel, up from 42% in 2023, particularly among Democrats. His accusations, which echo anti-Semitic tropes of Jewish influence over U.S. policy, ignore Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas’s aggression and the terrorist group’s diversion of aid meant for Gaza’s civilians. Cohen’s arrest underscores the divisive impact of his activism, which critics argue fuels hate while masquerading as humanitarian concern.