Supporters of Palestinian human rights are always accused of antisemitism. Ben Cohen gave a strong answer to such charges when he said he is “totally fine” with them because they are “absurd.”
BY PHILIP WEISS
BEN COHEN SPEAKS TO ALEXI MCCAMMOND OF AXIOS ABOUT ACCUSATIONS OF “ANTISEMITISM” AFTER DECISION TO STOP SELLING ICE CREAM IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. OCT. 10, 2021. SCREENSHOT
Ben Cohen says he is “totally fine” with accusations of antisemitism over Ben and Jerry’s decision to stop selling ice cream in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories because the charge is “absurd.”
Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who cofounded the company, were interviewed by Alexi McCammond of Axios, an exchange published yesterday on Axios/HBO.
McCammond asked: “You’re both Jewish men. How does it feel personally to be wrapped up in in accusations of being antisemitic?”
Cohen responded: “Totally fine. Because it’s absurd! OK, I mean, What? I’m anti-Jewish! I mean, I’m a Jew, all my family is Jewish, my friends are Jewish.”
The answer is important because anyone who supports Palestinian rights in a meaningful way is denounced as antisemitic. When Rep. Rashida Tlaib said that Israel practices “apartheid” according to human rights reports and that’s why she wasn’t supporting more military aid to the country, two weeks ago, another Congressperson, Ted Deutch, rose on the House floor to characterize her as antisemitic.
Greenfield answered the antisemitism question: “I understand people being upset. It’s a very emotional issue for a lot of people, and I totally understand it, it’s a very painful issue for a lot of people.”
Cohen and Greenfield sold the company to Unilever in 2000, but are still involved in its decision-making,
The Ben & Jerry’s decision to boycott the occupied territories beginning next year was announced in July and followed protests at the company during the May onslaught on Gaza and a long campaign by progressives to get the company to follow through on its social justice principles with respect to the occupied territories. The backlash to the decision has included major Jewish organizations and Israeli leaders characterizing the decision as antisemitic, Arizona and New Jersey moving to divest from Unilever under anti-boycott laws, pushback from Democratic politicians such as NY Mayor Bill de Blasio, and narrow support for Ben and Jerry’s right to boycott from liberal Zionist organizations.
Cohen and Greenfield have said that they support Israel but not its occupation. Cohen said on Axios:
“We’re always in favor of the two state solution. The policy of the Israeli government has been to endorse the settlements in the occupied territories that keep on making it harder and harder to actually have a two-state solution…
It’s just saying, We don’t want our ice cream sold in the occupied territories…
Asked whether the decision was going to hurt the Israeli economy, Cohen said, “Not much. It’ s a drop in the bucket… It’s not a financial stance, it’s a policy stance…. We hugely support Israel’s right to exist, but we are against a particular policy.”
Greenfield said, “I think Ben & Jerry’s is being characterized as boycotting Israel, which is not the case at all, it’s not boycotting Israel in any way.”
