Washington, D.C. — Ben Cohen, the outspoken co-founder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested Wednesday after disrupting a Senate committee hearing with a protest against U.S. financial support for Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Cohen, 74, joined a group of demonstrators who interrupted a session of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The hearing featured Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was addressing President Trump’s proposed federal budget. The protest drew attention away from fiscal policy and squarely onto the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Arrest Captured on Video
In footage shared on social media by Ben Cohen himself, Capitol Police are seen restraining him with his hands behind his back. Speaking to the camera as officers led him away, Cohen voiced his frustration over American foreign aid priorities.
“Congress is using taxpayer dollars to fund bombings in Gaza while cutting Medicaid for poor kids here at home,” Cohen said.
He went on to criticize lawmakers for not taking stronger action to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of an impending famine.
“Starving children need food, not more missiles,” he added, urging an immediate shift in U.S. policy.
Charges and Release
Capitol Police later confirmed that Ben Cohen was charged with “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding”—a misdemeanor that could carry a sentence of up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. Six other protesters were also taken into custody on related charges, including resisting arrest and assaulting law enforcement. All were eventually released, including Cohen.
Long History of Advocacy
This is not the first time Ben Cohen has found himself at the center of political controversy. Alongside his business partner Jerry Greenfield, Cohen has long fused activism with entrepreneurship. Though they stepped away from day-to-day operations after selling Ben & Jerry’s to Unilever in 2000, the duo has remained vocal about global and domestic justice issues.
Their most high-profile stance came in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would cease sales in Israeli-occupied West Bank territories. The move was framed as consistent with the company’s ethical principles and drew international attention—both praise and criticism.
In an op-ed for The New York Times, Ben Cohen and Greenfield, who are both Jewish, defended the decision and rejected the idea that opposition to Israeli government policies is inherently antisemitic.
“As Jewish supporters of Israel, we believe it’s entirely appropriate to hold its government accountable,” Cohen wrote.
Corporate Fallout and Legal Battle
The 2021 decision triggered backlash from Israeli officials and caused ripples throughout parent company Unilever. In response to mounting pressure, Unilever sold the Ben & Jerry’s operations in Israel to a local licensee. By March 2024, Unilever announced plans to spin off its entire ice cream division in a cost-cutting restructure.
Meanwhile, Ben & Jerry’s has taken legal action against Unilever, accusing the conglomerate of silencing the brand’s political voice. According to court filings, the company claimed Unilever dismissed its CEO over support for Palestinian refugees and suppressed advocacy efforts. Unilever has denied those allegations and asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
Cohen Remains Undeterred
Despite the legal skirmishes and public backlash, Ben Cohen continues to speak out unapologetically. His arrest this week underscores a decades-long commitment to activism that often puts him at odds with the political establishment—and even the corporation he once helped build.
Ben Cohen has shown no signs of backing down. If anything, the Senate protest signals a renewed focus on Gaza and a willingness to confront U.S. lawmakers head-on.
“I’m not just here for show,” he said outside the Capitol after his release. “I’m here because silence in the face of injustice is complicity.”
As tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate and the humanitarian toll in Gaza worsens, voices like Ben Cohen’s are amplifying the debate over America’s role. Whether through protests or policy, the battle lines between activism and governance have rarely been clearer.