Ben & Jerry’s cofounder accuses Israel of ‘slaughtering’ Gazans in ‘genocide’

Vermont businessman and progressive donor Ben Cohen appears on Tucker Carlson’s podcast to accuse US of enabling Israel to commit genocide in Gaza in pursuit of biblical Greater Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

Ben Cohen, cofounder of the iconic Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand and an outspoken progressive activist and philanthropist, accused Israel last week of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip and castigated the United States for its cooperation with the Jewish state.

Cohen, who together with Jerry Greenfield founded Ben & Jerry’s in 1978, appeared on right-wing firebrand Tucker Carlson’s podcast last week for a wide-ranging interview, one which often focused on Cohen’s criticism of American foreign policy and allegations that it has been driven primarily by the “military industrial congressional complex.”

Along with criticism of America’s support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia, Cohen also excoriated the United States government’s backing of Israel, calling the relationship between the two countries “strange” and accusing the U.S. of facilitating Israeli “genocide” of Gazans.

“There seems to be some kind of strange relationship between Israel and the US where, I don’t know, Israel now has the U.S. supplying weapons for its genocide.”

“And what I’m told is that Israel wants some concept of Greater Israel. I mean, I don’t really know much about that.”

Cohen defended illegal campus takeovers at American college campuses by anti-Israel activists and described Israel’s war on the Hamas terror organization as a “slaughter.”

“We support the slaughter of people in Gaza. If somebody protests the slaughter of people in Gaza, we arrest them.”

Turning to his religious beliefs, Cohen, who was born to a Jewish family, said that while he does not practice any particular religion, he “love[s] Jesus,” even as his criticized mainstream Christianity.

“I mean, I don’t practice a religion. I was born a Jew. I love Jesus Christ. I think the words that he said are wonderful, are amazing. And you know, I’m kind of distressed that a lot of organized Christian religions are not really, I don’t know, abiding by the words of Jesus Christ.”

Carlson, once the host of a prime time show on Fox News, has highlighted a number of high-profile critics of the Jewish state, including some alleged antisemites, over the past several years, including right-wing pundit Candace Owens, pro-Hamas Bethlehem pastor Munther Isaac – who praised the October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel – and, more recently, former Manhattan Institute economist Glenn Loury.