Members of the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn have voted to boycott around a dozen products from Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, capping years of contentious debate over the conflict in Gaza. The vote, which took place during a three-hour virtual meeting attended by about 7,000 of the co-operative’s 17,000 members, saw 67 per cent of participants vote in favour.
The boycott is intended to affect some brands of tahini, peppers, persimmons and other products. Pro-boycott advocates argued it aligns with the co-op’s history of socially conscious shopping, citing past boycotts of products from apartheid South Africa and Chile under Augusto Pinochet, as well as of companies over anti-labour or environmental practices. "Our co-op has a long and proud tradition of more than 20 boycotts," said Alyce Barr, a member for nearly five decades and a sponsor of the proposal. "We want to build on this tradition by boycotting Israeli products until Israel complies with international law."
The debate has drawn attention beyond the co-op, founded in 1973, with figures such as Democratic congressional candidates Dan Goldman and Brad Lander weighing in against the vote, though Lander clarified he was not telling members how to vote. The tensions have flared into confrontations, including allegations of verbal abuse and a member flipping over a pro-boycott table. Co-op management has increased security, citing threatening letters, suspicious substances sent through the mail, and hostile social media activity.
In an email to members, the co-op’s leadership denounced antisemitic and anti-Arab comments made during a general assembly, including a remark comparing Jewish supremacism to Nazis. General manager Joe Szladek emphasised the need for civil discourse, stating, "The co-op has always been a place for open discussion, including difficult and strongly held views across deep divides."
