NYC co-op votes against Israeli product boycott

Members of Brooklyn food co-op reject a boycott meant to protest Israel’s policies on Palestinians

A New York City co-op’s proposed boycott against Israeli products to protest the Israeli government’s policies toward Palestinians has been overwhelmingly defeated.

Tuesday night’s vote by members of the Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn rejected a motion on whether to hold a referendum on the boycott, with 1,005 voting against and 653 in favor.

Anti-Israel protest (Illustration) Photo: Shani Bar-OZ

Anti-Israel protest (Illustration) Photo: Shani Bar-OZ

Public Advocate and Brooklyn resident Bill de Blasio said he was proud of his neighbors for doing the right thing, calling the proposal inflammatory and destructive.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn called the idea “ill conceived” and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer denounced the proposed boycott as “an anti-Semitic crusade.”

The debate over the proposed boycott at the 39-year-old cooperative market was mostly symbolic because the co-op carries only a half-dozen imported products from Israel.

 

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By the Associated Press