Storied New York food co-op votes to boycott Israeli products after contentious campaign
The Park Slope Food Coop boycott vote follows tensions and rifts among members and larger community
TL;DR
- Park Slope Food Coop members voted to boycott products from Israel and Israeli settlements.
- The vote capped years of debate and intense campaigning among the co-op's 17,000 members.
- Sixty-seven percent of participants voted in favor of the boycott.
- The boycott is seen as a microcosm of deeper rifts over Israel, exacerbated by the war in Gaza.
- Pro-boycott advocates cited the co-op's history of boycotting products from apartheid South Africa and Chile.
- The debate has drawn attention from local politicians, with some weighing in against the vote.
- Tensions flared into confrontations, including verbal abuse and property damage, leading the co-op's management to condemn uncivil discourse.
- The co-op's leadership has increased security measures due to incidents such as threatening letters and hostile online activity.