Ben & Jerry’s says it has no plans to sever ties with the Women’s March, despite its deep connections to rabid anti-Semite preacher and Nation of Islam head, Louis Farrakhan, and even told reporters they’re “comfortable” handing over donations to the Women’s March — and its leader Linda Sarsour — despite the claims.
On Tuesday, the Vermont ice cream maker famous for its leftist bent and its celebrity collaborations unveiled its newest flavor, a pecan-laced confection that might trigger some nut allergies but will ultimately benefit a handful of progressive organizations leading the anti-Trump “Resistance.”
“Today we launch Pecan Resist! This flavor supports groups creating a more just and equitable nation for us all, and who are fighting President Trump’s regressive agenda,” the company tweeted Tuesday.
“Pecan Resist supports four organizations that are working on the front lines of the peaceful resistance, building a world that supports their values,” the company’s press release continues. “Women’s March is committed to harnessing the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change.”
But the Women’s March — and its leadership — has recently come under fire for ties to the virulently anti-Semtitic Farrakhan, who regularly preaches anti-Jewish hate from his mosque in Chicago, and, most recently, called the Jewish people “termites” that must be exterminated.
Three prominent leaders of the Women’s March — Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, and Carmen Perez — have all buddied up with Farrakhan in recent years, with Mallory being the hate-preacher’s closest companion among the group, appearing regularly in the pews at Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam headquarters, most recently for NOI’s “Savior’s Day.” As Mallory looked on, Farrakhan compared the Jewish people to Satan in a fiery speech meant to “unite” his congregation.
Worse still, Sarsour — well known to be the most public face of the Women’s March — is herself an anti-Semite who frequently speaks on the subject of what she calls “Zionism” (a creative term to deflect criticism of her speeches as merely ideologically motivated). She also supports the anti-Semitic BDS movement and downplays violence against the Jewish people by claiming its not as important as other forms of racism: “While anti-Semitism is something that impacts Jewish Americans, it’s different than anti-black racism or Islamophobia because it’s not systemic.”
But that doesn’t seem to bother Ben & Jerry’s, even though the brand has frequently come under fire from the Left for selling their products in Israel. When asked by a reporter for Independent Journal Review whether they’d distance themselves from the Women’s March’s abject hatred, they demurred entirely.
“We’re comfortable with the idea that the people and the causes we partner with may have a point of view different from our own on some issues,” the said in a statement. “They can be controversial, just as we can. Linda may not agree with everything we’ve done. But the work that she has done to promote women’s rights, as co-chair of the Women’s March, is undeniably important and we are proud to join her in that effort.”
They later added — hilariously — that they believe Sarsour has been a crusader against anti-Semitism.
“They included a statement from Women’s March’s Linda Sarsour [reading] ‘We recommit ourselves to dismantling anti-Semitism and all forms of racism,'” IJR reported.
That’d be easier to swallow if the Women’s March had taken any overt steps to distance themselves from Farrakhan, Sarsour, and their message of hatred. Rather, the March was silent on the subject of their leaders’ ties to virulent anti-Semitism, and when the subject of Farrakhan arose, merely said they disagreed with the content of some of his speeches.