Watch: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Cofounder Eliminated From US Senate Over Gaza
United States:
Ben Cohen, co‑founding father of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and a longtime progressive activist, advised AFP he was talking for tens of millions of People outraged by the “slaughter” in Gaza after his removing from a US Senate listening to on Wednesday.
Cohen, 74, was amongst a bunch of protesters who startled Well being Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. by interrupting his testimony about his division’s funds proposal.
Shouting that “Congress pays for bombs to kill youngsters in Gaza” whereas lawmakers transfer to slash Medicaid — the medical insurance program for low‑earnings households — the businessman and philanthropist was positioned in handcuffs by Capitol Police.
I advised Congress they’re killing poor youngsters in Gaza by shopping for bombs, and so they’re paying for it by kicking poor youngsters off Medicaid within the US. This was the authorities’ response. pic.twitter.com/uOf7xrzzWM
— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) Might 14, 2025
He urged senators to press Israel to let meals attain “ravenous youngsters” as he was led away.
“It acquired to some extent the place we needed to do one thing,” Cohen mentioned in an interview after his launch, calling it “scandalizing” that the US authorized “$20 billion price of bombs” for Israel whilst social packages are squeezed again dwelling.
“The vast majority of People hate what is going on on, what our nation is doing with our cash and in our title,” he mentioned.
US public opinion towards Israel has change into more and more unfavorable, particularly amongst Democrats, in line with a Pew Analysis Heart Ballot final month.
Past the spending, Cohen framed the difficulty as an ethical and “religious” breach.
“Condoning and being complicit within the slaughter of tens of 1000’s of individuals strikes on the core of us so far as human beings and what our nation stands for,” he mentioned, pointing to the truth that the US pours roughly half its discretionary funds into struggle‑associated spending.
“For those who spent half of that cash making lives higher around the globe, I believe there’d be an entire lot much less friction.”
Invoking a parenting analogy, he added: “You go to a three-year-old who goes round hitting folks and also you say ‘Use your phrases.’ There’s points between nations however you possibly can work them out with out killing.”
A longtime critic of Israeli coverage, Cohen final 12 months joined distinguished Jewish figures in an open letter opposing the professional‑Israel foyer AIPAC. “I perceive that I’ve a better profile than most individuals and so I elevate my voice, it will get heard. However I want you and others to grasp that I communicate for tens of millions of people that really feel the identical means.”
Israel’s struggle in Gaza started after the October 7, 2023 assault by Hamas, which resulted within the deaths of 1,218 folks on the Israeli facet, principally civilians, in line with an AFP tally primarily based on official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at the least 52,928 folks in Gaza, principally civilians, in line with figures from the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry, which the United Nations considers dependable.
Gaza is at “vital danger of famine,” with the complete inhabitants going through a meals disaster after greater than two months of an Israeli help blockade, and 22 p.c going through a humanitarian “disaster,” a UN-backed meals safety monitor warned this week.
