Last October 26, the venomous anti-U.S., anti-Israel, socialist organization A.N.S.W.E.R (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) held a massive rally in Washington to denounce the impending war on Iraq. Looking out into the crowd one could see signs that attacked more than just war on Iraq ? including many that read “Apartheid Israel,” “War Criminal Sharon,” and “Justice for Palestine.”
This wonderful organization sponsored another America-Israel bashfest in Washington this past January 18. Again, there were anti-Israel placards and Palestinian flags as far as the eye could see.
Currently, a number of the antiwar demonstrations being held in cities around the world are also sponsored and supported by A.N.S.W.E.R. and other pro-Palestinian outfits.
Among the keynote speakers at the October 26 event was Ben Cohen, A.N.S.W.E.R activist and co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. In fact, it is Ben Cohen whom I am focusing on for this article as well as a company called Unilever, the food empire, that now owns Ben & Jerry’s and has basically turned a blind eye to Cohen’s activism against both America and Israel.
Among the groups Cohen has founded is True Majority – an organization made up of left-leaning misfits who co-sponsor A.N.S.W.E.R events and condemn and blame America for the world’s ills.
One of these misfit operations, Global Exchange, is the leading force behind the Palestine Human Rights Campaign. A fact sheet put out by the organization is titled “Reasons to oppose U.S. aid to Israel.” The reasons given:
1.Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian land.
2. Israel systematically violates the human rights of Palestinians.
3. U.S. aid to Israel violates the U.S.’s own laws.
4. U.S. support for Israel’s military threatens U.S. security and global stability.
5. Israeli settlements are illegal and provocative.
6. U..S aid to Israel does not make Israelis safer.
7. Israel is an exclusionary state.
Another group that Cohen proudly supports is Not In Our Name (NION). Several weeks ago NION took out a two-page ad in The New York Times condemning the war in Iraq, President Bush and Israel. The ad compared the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 1991 to the terrorist atrocities of 9/11. Equally repulsive was the moral equivalence displayed in comparing the barbarians who flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon with “Israeli raids in Palestinian territory.”
After seeing Ben Cohen introduced at antiwar rallies and on TV interviews as the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, I felt it completely appropriate to call for a boycott of the company. I had already written the press releases documenting all of Cohen’s recent activities and statements when I received an e-mail from the kashruth agency whose symbol appears on Ben & Jerry’s products, informing me that Cohen was no longer the owner of the company that still bears his name. He was bought out a few years ago by the international food wholesaler Unilever.
I felt both relief and anger at the news. Relief that I hadn’t sent the (incorrect) notice to all of my contacts. Anger at having been misled by Ben Cohen, who, to my knowledge, is always introduced as a Ben & Jerry’s co-founder with no mention of the fact that he no longer owns or speaks for the company. (In fact, when he appeared recently on the popular Fox News show Hannity and Colmes, Cohen admitted he was no longer the company’s owner only after Sean Hannity announced his attention of boycotting the company.
I contacted Unilever and spoke with several company representatives about their own positions on the war, and about Ben Cohen’s routine use of the Ben & Jerry’s name in order to give himself added credibility.
There were at least six e-mail exchanges between us. The first contact I made was actually by phone, when I was told that while they generally supported Cohen’s “progressive” views, they also supported the right of people like me to publicly disagree.
Now, when someone describes himself as a “progressive,” the word usually carries with it certain values and positions. I have yet to meet a “progressive” who doesn’t believe Israel to be an imperialist oppressor, among other things. When I brought this up to the Unilever rep, she referred me to the company?s public relations firm. This is when the e-mails back and forth began.
At first, I got a “Ben speaks for himself” answer, which I did not accept. Why, I asked, would Unilever, which purchased Ben & Jerry’s for hundreds of millions of dollars, allow a person who no longer owned the company to continue to use its name when participating in activities and supporting groups that bash America and Israel?
That question got me forwarded to higher levels within the company. Here, too, though, I heard the “Ben speaks for himself” mantra. In fairness, the Unilever reps were all very polite and very cordial, both on the phone and in their e-mails. It was their responses to which I took exception, particularly the final one in which the rep assured me that he has “reminded” Ben Cohen that he must be clear in all public appearances that he speaks on behalf of True Majority, not Ben & Jerry’s.
“I reminded him” is the company’s answer” Whenever Susan Sarandon, Martin Sheen and other Hollywood activists speak at any of these events, they are introduced as “actors.” Without that status they would be dismissed as left-leaning anti-America wackos. Ben Cohen is no different. The only thing giving him legitimacy or credibility is that people associate him with a famous ice cream company.
I asked Unilever, “If Cohen had been convicted of a heinous crime, would you “remind” him not to use your name or would you call all your people together for some major damage control?” I received no response.
Here’s the bottom line: Ben Cohen is using the name of a famous brand of ice cream he no longer owns or speaks for to support organizations that bash America, President Bush, and Israel. The company that now owns the rights to the Ben & Jerry’s name reacts, not with outraged demands that he cease and desist at once, but with reminders to Cohen as to how he should be introduced at public appearances.
Thankfully, there are plenty of fine ice creams and sorbets to choose from without having to support Ben & Jerry’s.
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