Recently, New York State made its prohibitions against anti-Israel boycotts even stronger. Last June, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order to prevent state agencies and authorities from engaging in or promoting "any investment activity that would further the harmful and discriminatory Palestinian-backed Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign in New York State." The Coop isn't a state entity but it does receive both state and federal benefits. In addition to the federal money it receives from the food stamps that some customers use, the Coop has been authorized by the state to operate as a nonprofit tax-exempt organization. The Coop thus doesn't have to pay taxes derived from the revenue it collects. Given these benefits, it is difficult to believe that New York State would indulge a Coop decision to target and discriminate against Israeli companies, including SodaStream. These kinds of liability concerns prompted the GreenStar Food Coop in Ithaca to reject a boycott of Israeli products. The coop's legal counsel wisely concluded that the boycott could render GreenStar liable under the Human Rights Law. The four members' vehement rejection of the Park Slope Food Coop's anti-Israel boycott efforts made sense for a second reason: Targeting and boycotting the one Jewish state in the world – and the only thriving democracy in the Middle East – flies in the face of the Coop's own mission statement. The Coop purports to be committed to "oppose discrimination in any form," to "make the Coop welcoming and accessible to all," and to "lead by example" and educate about such topics as "cooperation and the environment." The four members, together with hundreds of others who also opposed a boycott of the environmentally-friendly SodaStream, strongly reacted so that the Coop would stay out of a complicated political situation and remain an accessible place for everyone. The injustice of the Coop's suspension of its four loyal members led the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) to intervene and urge the Coop to first, reinstate the members immediately, and second, stop promoting discriminatory and potentially illegal practices targeting the Jewish State. But the Coop has stayed silent, keeping the harsh punishment in place, which is directed against not only the four members, but also all the members of their respective households who have not been accused of any wrongdoing. Everyone in the community – especially our public officials – should be calling on the Coop to stop indulging a group of Israel-bashers who seem obsessed with singling out and discriminating against Israel, in violation of public policy. Instead, the Coop should stick to its mission to make healthy and affordable food available to everyone who wants it. Susan B. Tuchman, Esq. is the director of the Zionist Organization of America's Center for Law and Justice, and Morton A. Klein is the national president of the Zionist Organization of America. This article was published by Jewish Week and may be found here. |
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