{"id":3568,"date":"2026-05-27T02:40:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T02:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/27\/storied-new-york-food-co-op-votes-to-boycott-israeli-products-after-contentious-campaign\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T02:40:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T02:40:03","slug":"storied-new-york-food-co-op-votes-to-boycott-israeli-products-after-contentious-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=3568","title":{"rendered":"Storied New York food co-op votes to boycott Israeli products after contentious campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"fc23723d-56cf-400c-9099-b9469451ebc5\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Shoppers browse a narrow grocery aisle with packed shelves of bread and other products\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4141846b8b2246f6020d05b7a4f781130acc3881\/0_0_5248_3498\/master\/5248.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"309.9409298780488\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Members shop at the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn.<\/span> Photograph: James Leynse\/Corbis\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"fc23723d-56cf-400c-9099-b9469451ebc5\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Members shop at the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn.<\/span> Photograph: James Leynse\/Corbis\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\"> Storied New York food co-op votes to boycott Israeli products after contentious campaign<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>The Park Slope Food Coop boycott vote follows tensions and rifts among members and larger community<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Members of a storied food co-operative in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/brooklyn\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Brooklyn<\/a> have voted to boycott about a dozen products from Israel and Israeli settlements in occupied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/palestinian-territories\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Palestine<\/a> \u2013 capping years of contentious debate over a conflict half a world away that has threatened to rip apart a landmark institution for liberal New Yorkers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Park Slope Food Coop vote, which took place Tuesday night during a three-hour virtual meeting attended by about 7,000 of the co-operative\u2019s 17,000 members, follows months of dueling campaigning that one local rabbi opposed to the boycott described as a <a href=\"https:\/\/cbebk.org\/may-9-rabbi-rachel-timoner-behar-be-chukotai-5786\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">\u201cproxy war\u201d<\/a>. The boycott is supposed to impact some brands of tahini, peppers and persimmons as well as other products. Sixty-seven percent of participants voted in favor of the boycott.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">What may seem like a trivial squabble of little significance beyond the largely privileged community the co-op serves has become yet another microcosm of the deep rifts over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Israel<\/a> that the war in Gaza has exacerbated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The pro-boycott faction \u2013 led by Park Slope Food Coop Members in Solidarity with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/palestinian-territories\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Palestine<\/a>, and endorsed by more than two dozen advocacy groups including several Jewish ones \u2013 argued that the boycott is in line with the co-op\u2019s long history of socially conscious shopping, and cited past boycotts of products from apartheid South Africa, and Chile under the Augusto Pinochet regime, as well as of several companies over their anti-labor or environmental practices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cOur co-op has a long and proud tradition of more than 20 boycotts,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reels\/DYudxp4pJON\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">said<\/a> Alyce Barr, a member for nearly five decades and one of the boycott proposal\u2019s sponsors. \u201cWe want to build on this tradition by boycotting Israeli products until Israel complies with international law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The debate has drawn attention well beyond the co-op, which was founded in 1973 and has been the subject of numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/gothamist.com\/food\/video-daily-show-visits-park-slope-co-op-discovers-miseries-of-grocery-shopping\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">satirical portrayals<\/a> over its stringent membership requirements and perceived self-importance. Dan Goldman and Brad Lander, two Democrats locked in a congressional primacy race in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Israel<\/a> is also playing a central role, <a href=\"https:\/\/gothamist.com\/news\/primary-foes-goldman-lander-unite-against-park-slope-food-coop-israel-boycott\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">have both weighed in<\/a> against the vote (although Lander made clear he was not telling people how to vote). Others, like Palestinian advocate and Brooklyn resident <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/mahmoud-khalil\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Mahmoud Khalil<\/a>, have <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/mahmoudkhalel\/status\/2057304442194587865\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">defended the boycott<\/a> movement as the minimum response to Israel \u201cslaughtering civilians and committing human rights violations daily\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tensions over two proposed ballots initiatives \u2013 one in favor of the boycott of Israeli products and one eliminating a requirement for a 75% supermajority for a boycott to pass \u2013 have played out for weeks (the second initiative also passed by a large majority).At times, those tensions have flared into confrontations that the co-op\u2019s management condemned as antithetical to the organization\u2019s spirit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Pro-boycott advocates described being verbally abused by some anti-boycott members and passersby, including with a \u201chomophobic and misogynist slur\u201d, and having their table flipped over and materials dumped in the street by a co-op member.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In an email to members shared with the Guardian, the co-op\u2019s leadership denounced what it called antisemitic and anti-Arab comments made during last month\u2019s general assembly. In one statement cited by the email, a member reported: \u201cWe can\u2019t keep making the same mistakes between we did with the Nazis and what we did with other hateful, racist groups. Jewish supremacism is a problem in this country.\u201d Another comment reportedly cited the phrase \u201cArab supremacy\u201d in connection with the events of 7 October 2023 and the Muslim Brotherhood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe co-op has always been a place for open discussion, including difficult and strongly held views across deep divides, but that discussion must remain grounded in civil discourse,\u201d wrote Joe Szladek, the co-op\u2019s general manager.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Co-op leadership has increased security measures, citing a series of incidents including \u201cthreatening letters, suspicious substances sent through the mail, aggressive phone calls and emails, repeated phone disruptions, hostile social media and online activity directed at staff and members\u201d, Szladek said in the email. \u201cThese measures are not being taken in response to any one viewpoint or group of members.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/new-york\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">New York<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/israel\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Israel<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/palestinian-territories\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Palestine<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/israel-hamas-war\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Israel-Gaza war<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/food\/food\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Food<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/gaza\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Gaza<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=%20Storied%20New%20York%20food%20co-op%20votes%20to%20boycott%20Israeli%20products%20after%20contentious%20campaign&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/27\/park-slope-food-coop-israel-boycott?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F27%2Fpark-slope-food-coop-israel-boycott&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/27\/park-slope-food-coop-israel-boycott\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Members shop at the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn. Photograph: James Leynse\/Corbis\/Getty Images View image in fullscreen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}