Slope Food Co-op Votes Down Referendum on Israeli Ban

The Great Park Slope Food Co-op Debate of 2012 has ended, at least for now, as members voted last night against a motion to hold a referendum on banning Israeli-made products at the institution. The Times reports that 1,005 votes were counted against holding a referendum, while 653 voted in favor of one. The paper says the meeting was delayed by 45 minutes as members shuffled into Brooklyn Tech, the venue used since turnout was expected to be so high, and that about 40 speakers voiced their opinions on the matter before the actual vote. The Times mentions how heated the debate over the proposed boycott had become: “Tensions at the co-op, on Union Street, had been climbing to a breaking point in recent weeks as the members, numbering about 16,300, weighed the matter. Reporters and television trucks had become a common site outside the co-op’s doors. Advocates passed leaflets with increasing urgency. Politicians and pundits weighed in. And emotions, in at least one instance, spilled over into fisticuffs.” Meanwhile, the Daily News has this quote from a member: “One longtime member said the boycott would have gone against the communal principles of the coop. ‘We are an example on how to shop for food in peace,’ the member said. ‘Why would we want to ruin that?’
Food Co-op Rejects Effort to Boycott Israeli-Made Products [NY Times]
Park Slope Food Coop Votes Not to Vote on Proposed Boycott [NY Daily News]