De Blasio Wants Park Slope Food Coop to Forget About Boycotting Israel

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has jumped into international politics, urging members of the Park Slope Food Coop to call off their proposed boycott of products from Israel.

The coop will consider the proposal on Tuesday, March 27 at their general meeting at Brooklyn Tech High School.

According to the coop, they actually carry very few items produced in Israel. Here is the list: Sodastream seltzer maker and replacement cartridges, organic paprika, Israeli couscous, olive pesto or tapenade, vegan marshmallows and organic yellow peppers.

The coop has over 16,000 members who work in the store once every four week for 2.75 hours.

Here is de Blasio's statement:

“The inflammatory proposal to boycott products from the State of Israel is wrongheaded and an affront to American values and interests. This movement—nationally and internationally—is a destructive force that must be stopped. It undermines America's relationship with our steadfast partner in the fight against terrorism and our strongest ally in the Middle East.

“Our city, in particular, has always had a special relationship with Israel. Those of us who have visited Israel, as my family and I did very recently, feel the moral bond and the need for her doing everything possible to protect her security. New Yorkers have always stood by her, and we cannot waver from doing so.

“That's why I am urging my Brooklyn neighbors to reject the proposal offered by some members of the Park Slope Food Coop. Plain and simple--it's wrong. The Coop is an important community institution with a great tradition of tolerance and inclusion. Its members should reject the boycott resolution on Tuesday evening as an outrage to our collective values as New Yorkers.”


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