Members of the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn voted on Tuesday to boycott products made in Israel, a decision that has sparked protests, threats of membership cancellations, and a formal discrimination complaint. The measure passed with 67% of the more than 7,000 members who participated, taking immediate effect and resulting in the removal of about ten Israeli goods, including hummus, herbs, matzot, tahini, olive oil, and hair care products.

The coop, a member-run market with around 15,000 members, has been a focal point for contentious debate over the past several years, especially amid renewed tensions linked to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Proponents view the boycott as a necessary political stance against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Alyce Barr, a Jewish co-op member and boycott supporter, described the decision as a stand against "genocide" and "apartheid," asserting that the coop must avoid products tied to exploitation and align itself with what she called "the right side of history."

Opponents, including many Jewish members of the community, perceive the boycott as discriminatory and linked to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which critics argue seeks the elimination of the State of Israel. Rabbi Rachel Timoner, a senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, condemned the boycott and BDS as expressions of hostility toward Israel and, by extension, Jewish people.

The decision has sparked significant backlash and unrest among members. Some Jewish shoppers have pledged to stop patronizing the coop, with others already quitting or threatening to do so. Longtime member JJ Berney expressed feeling targeted due to his identity, saying it has become difficult to feel welcome in the store. The coop relies heavily on volunteer labor, and board member Ramon Maislen indicated the boycott could disrupt operations if an estimated 1,000 members leave, adding that some might engage in acts of civil disobedience by not fulfilling volunteer shifts.

Adding to the controversy, Jeffrey Lax, a law professor and founder of the group SAFE Campus, filed a discrimination complaint against the coop with the New York State Division of Human Rights. Lax argued that singling out Israeli products constitutes discrimination based on national origin, pointing out that the coop has not enacted bans on products from countries like China, Russia, or Turkey—even as those nations face their own allegations of human rights abuses. Kenneth Marcus, CEO of the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, also criticized the boycott as inherently antisemitic and discriminatory.

The widespread debate has extended beyond the coop’s members to the broader Park Slope community and beyond, with some residents expressing frustration over what they see as inconsistencies in the coop’s policies. Critics have pointed to other countries’ products and questioned why those remain on the shelves, while supporters maintain that the boycott is a moral imperative in response to Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Efforts to clarify the fate of the removed products have been inconclusive, though a board member suggested they might have been donated to a local food bank. The Park Slope Food Coop, known for reflecting the progressive values of its neighborhood, now stands at the center of a debate over politics, identity, and the limits of activism within community institutions.