On the 14th (local time) in the afternoon at the Senate hearing room in Washington, D.C., during the confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Minister of Health and Human Services, an elderly man with white hair and black glasses suddenly sprang to his feet, wearing a blue shirt.
"Give food to starving children!"
Even as the congressional police rushed toward him, the elderly man shouted, "The Congress is buying bombs to kill poor children in Gaza," and "That money is supposed to be used for poor American children through Medicaid."
When Senator Bill Cassidy (Republican) requested police to remove the protester, the congressional police dragged the elderly man out of the hearing room.
According to the Associated Press, the elderly man was Ben Cohen, 74, co-founder of the American ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s.
The police arrested Cohen for a misdemeanor. The charge could result in up to 90 days of detention or a fine of $500.
Cohen is Jewish. However, despite his identity, he has criticized the Israeli government's policies regarding Gaza. In 2021, Ben & Jerry's announced a halt to manufacturing and sales, stating, "We do not want our ice cream sold in occupied territories of Israel." This decision sparked international controversy.
At that time, Cohen noted in an interview with The New York Times (NYT), "It is possible to support Israel while opposing some of its policies," and "Criticism of Israeli policies is not anti-Semitism," leading to a boycott movement against Ben & Jerry's in nine states in the U.S.
Cohen recently criticized the U.S. relationship with Israel as "strange" in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, stating, "The U.S. provides Israel with weapons of mass destruction."
Cohen's social activities are not limited to the Gaza issue. He was arrested during the "Democracy Awakening" protest against money in politics in 2016. In 2023, he was taken into custody by police for blocking the entrance during a protest supporting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Ben & Jerry's started in 1978 in Vermont, Senator Bernie Sanders' home state, known in U.S. political circles as an 'anti-Trump spearhead.'
Cohen suffers from congenital anosmia. Instead of being able to smell, he focused on creating ice cream with a variety of textures.
He and his middle school classmate Greenfield started Ben & Jerry's with a capital of $12,000, selling chunky ice cream. Just three years after starting the business, Ben & Jerry's received accolades as the 'best ice cream in the world' and graced the cover of Time magazine.
Cohen and Greenfield run the company with the belief that revenue follows responsible action towards society and the environment. Since 1988, Ben & Jerry's has allocated 7.5% of its pre-tax total revenue to education and job opportunities for at-risk youth.
Since then, Ben & Jerry's has consistently raised its voice on social issues, participating in the 'Occupy Wall Street' protest, the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, and climate change demonstrations.
Jeff Furman, former CEO of Ben & Jerry's, said in an interview with The Huffington Post, "Ben & Jerry's is a social justice organization that sells ice cream."
In 2000, Cohen sold Ben & Jerry's to the multinational corporation Unilever for $326 million (about 440 billion won). Though he became a billionaire, his life as a social activist did not stop.
At the time of the sale, Cohen and Greenfield secured the right to operate an 'independent board' from Unilever to maintain the Ben & Jerry's brand identity. According to Bloomberg, the independent board has absolute authority over product quality and activities related to its social mission.
Some are concerned that as Ben & Jerry's continues to hold specific political positions, it could cause consumer division and negatively affect sales.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited survey results showing that "38% of consumers would be willing to boycott companies that express political positions."
However, on the other hand, some argued that Ben & Jerry's pursuit of 'values-driven management' might actually enhance brand loyalty, particularly among young consumers who prioritize social responsibility.
According to Unilever, Ben & Jerry's consistently maintains its status as a key brand with global annual sales exceeding €1 billion (about 1.47 trillion won).
Axios, a political media outlet, noted, "Cohen is a figure who uses his success as an entrepreneur to drive social movements," adding that "the recent protest and arrest in the Senate are also an extension of his long-held belief in activist capitalism."