The Cradle: ❗️Brooklyn food co-op votes to boycott Israeli goods following years-long pressure...

❗️Brooklyn food co-op votes to boycott Israeli goods following years-long pressure campaign

The prominent Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn has voted to remove Israeli products from its shelves, transforming the New York grocery landmark into a central battleground over economic pressure against Israel. During a three-hour virtual meeting, nearly 7,000 members cast ballots, with 67 percent backing the measure. The vote succeeded after members first approved a rule change lowering the required boycott threshold from a 75 percent supermajority to a simple majority.

The directive commits the cooperative to stop stocking goods produced within Israel and its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank until Israel complies with international law. The decision physically impacts fewer than a dozen items—including select brands of tahini, olive oil, produce, and snacks.

The vote concludes years of bitter internal friction that escalated sharply during the genocide in Gaza. Opponents and pro-Israel advocacy groups condemned the initiative as discriminatory antisemitism, while proponents countered that the campaign targets state policy rather than religious identity, noting that numerous Jewish members supported the boycott.

The cooperative is already facing immediate legal retaliation over the decision. The National Jewish Advocacy Center has issued a cease-and-desist letter to the organization, and a formal complaint has been submitted to the New York Division of Human Rights alleging, baselessly, that the boycott violates state anti-discrimination laws.