Park Slope Food Coop passes controversial Israel boycott in divisive, chaotic meet attended by over 7K members
Park Slope Food Coop members approved a boycott of Israeli goods Tuesday night after a years-long dispute that has grown increasingly bitter.
More than 7,000 of the co-op’s 15,000 members attended the meeting, which was moved to Zoom only after Jewish attendees said they feared for their safety if it were held in person. The turnout was described by many as the largest in the co-op’s 53-year history, following months of heated debate. The boycott passed 67 percent to 31 percent, with 2 percent abstaining.
The dispute centers on whether the co-op should join the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement over a small number of Israeli grocery items. Past meetings have included an antisemitic outburst and accusations that Jewish members supported genocide. The co-op’s last Israel boycott vote in 2012 drew about 2,000 attendees, while typical meetings usually attract 50 to 200 members, according to longtime member Ramon Maislen.
Tuesday’s agenda also included routine elections, but the focus was on votes over changing boycott thresholds and removing items like Israeli hummus and matzah. Co-op board votes come at the end and are decisive, though they are influenced by membership votes.
The meeting turned chaotic after a Zoom polling malfunction and repeated attempts to fix it. Members ultimately voted to continue. A key procedural vote lowered the boycott threshold from 75 percent to a simple majority, passing 61 percent to 38 percent, with 1 percent abstaining. That change allowed the later boycott vote to pass.
Had the supermajority rule remained, the boycott would have failed. Some Jewish members criticized a motion that moved directly to a vote without allowing opponents to speak, calling it unprecedented and unfair, with some suggesting possible legal action.
