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The cooperative’s internal Member Demographic Survey found that approximately 24% of members identify as Jewish.
By Shula Rosen
The Park Slope Food Coop voted to stop selling Israeli products during an online general meeting attended by more than 7,000 members, following a debate that organizers moved to Zoom after some Jewish members raised concerns about their safety at an in-person gathering.
The Brooklyn-based cooperative, long associated with progressive residents in the borough, approved the boycott by a margin of 67% in favor, 31% opposed and 2% abstaining during a meeting that lasted about three hours. The measure will apply to products made in Judea and Samaria, as well as the rest of Israel.
Items affected by the boycott include peppers, persimmons, several tahini brands, olive oil, hummus, matzah and hair care products.
Before the vote took place, supporters of the boycott approved a bylaw change removing the requirement for a 75% supermajority and replacing it with a simple majority threshold.
Jewish members of the cooperative said tensions surrounding the vote had intensified ahead of the meeting.
According to one Jewish member, she was physically intimidated and verbally harassed while attempting to post signs encouraging members to oppose the boycott.
The decision followed several previous attempts to advance boycotts of Israeli goods at the cooperative. According to the material provided, support for such efforts increased following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The cooperative’s internal Member Demographic Survey found that approximately 24% of members identify as Jewish.
According to the survey results, 21% of respondents identified as Jewish alone, while another 3% identified as both Jewish and “no religion, atheist, or agnostic.”
The vote marked one of the most significant actions taken by the cooperative regarding Israeli products after years of internal debate over boycott proposals.
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