Members of the historic Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn voted Tuesday night to approve a boycott of roughly a dozen products from Israel and occupied Palestinian settlements.
The measure passed with 67 percent of the vote during a three-hour virtual meeting attended by approximately 7,000 of the cooperative's 17,000 members.
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A secondary resolution eliminating a 75 percent supermajority requirement for boycotts also passed by a large majority.
Products Targeted and Security Measures
The approved ban targets nine items currently stocked out of the store's 9,000 products.
These include certain brands of tahini, peppers, persimmons, an Israeli hummus brand, corn snacks, and Ecolove hair products.
Ahead of the vote, the decades-old grocery collective implemented heightened security measures. Officials cited aggressive phone calls, hostile online activity, and suspicious substances sent through the mail.
Arguments For and Against
Co-op organizers aligned with the pro-boycott faction framed the decision as a continuation of the market's social justice legacy.
Proponents pointed to previous cooperative actions against apartheid South Africa, the Augusto Pinochet regime in Chile, and various companies with poor environmental or labor records.
"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.
Supporters stated that the cooperative's purchasing decisions must align with their ethical principles.
They argued that economic pressure is a necessary response to ongoing human rights violations and international law infractions in Palestinian territories.
"We want to build on this tradition by boycotting Israeli products until Israel complies with international law," said Barr.
Opponents of the initiative expressed concern that the vote creates a toxic and exclusionary environment within the neighborhood establishment.
Some Jewish members reported experiencing antisemitic rhetoric and hostile interactions during recent general assemblies leading up to the ballot.
"Why is this petty, annoying fight in our neighborhood grocery store worth so much time and effort?
Because it is part of something much larger," said Rabbi Rachel Timoner of Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, who opposed the measure and threatened to quit the cooperative.
Opponents further argued that a microscopic boycott of a local supermarket does not influence foreign governments but successfully alienates local Jewish residents.
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"In the end, it is about antisemitism, a real and rising threat which ultimately carries existential danger both for Jews and for every society in which it takes hold," said Timoner.
Political Reactions
The cooperative controversy quickly intersected with New York politics, specifically the upcoming June 23 primary for the 10th Congressional District.
Incumbent Representative Dan Goldman and former city Comptroller Brad Lander, both running as Democrats in a district with a dense Jewish constituency, publicly opposed the boycott despite holding differing views on American military aid to Israel.
"Everyone is free to criticize the Israeli government — which I do not hesitate to do — but joining a movement that was founded on the principle of the elimination of Israel will have no impact on the Israeli government or the Israeli economy," said Representative Dan Goldman.
Goldman strongly condemned the boycott movement, characterizing it as an effort that unfairly holds American Jews accountable for foreign military actions.
"Instead, it only succeeds at shifting the responsibility for the Israeli government’s actions to American Jews — which is quintessential antisemitism," said Goldman.
Lander, who has previously called for a halt to U. S.
military aid to Israel, agreed with the decision to vote against the local store resolution but defended the underlying legality of the advocacy strategy.
"I am not a member of the Park Slope Food Coop, but if I were, I would vote no on the resolution for many of the reasons outlined in Rabbi Timoner’s sermon," said Brad Lander.
Lander rejected his opponent's characterization that all criticisms or economic movements against the Israeli state are inherently driven by antisemitic bias.
"But principled people can disagree here. Boycotts, divestments and sanctions are legitimate tools of advocacy campaigns.
Unlike my opponent, I don’t believe all opposition to Israel is antisemitic, and I believe we should halt U.
S. military aid to Israel while it violates international law and Palestinian human rights," said Lander.
Cooperative management noted that the electronic voting registration closed at 5 p. m.
on Tuesday prior to the scheduled online debate.
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The store is expected to begin the process of removing the designated Israeli-manufactured goods from its shelves in accordance with the member mandate.
