Port Townsend co-op Rejects BDS

Via Judy Balint in Israel

"Last month when I was visiting Seattle, I had the opportunity to take part in a "hearing" of the Olympia Food Co-op whose board had voted to boycott Israeli products. The 15,000 Co-op membership had not been consulted and some of them were upset--not that they were pro-Israel, they were ticked off that the Board had not consulted the members before they launched the Co-op into progressive history by becoming the first co-op in the nation to boycott Israel.

More of that later--in another part of Washington state--the charming, quiet community of Port Townsend--another Israel boycott was brewing. This time however, saner voices prevailed and Jewish activists from all over the state, led by the Seattle StandWithUs group, together with a flurry of letters and op eds in the local paper, resulted in a "no" vote on the boycott last night."

The PTLeader reports:

The Port Townsend Food Co-op board Tuesday voted 4 to 2 to reject a proposed boycott of products made in Israel.

After listening to more than 50 co-op members speak passionately for and against the proposal, the board approved a motion stating that the proposal was inconsistent with the co-op’s boycott policy.

The board concluded that policy does not allow the co-op to take a stand on issues involving countries.

“We are not in the business, fundamentally, of adjudicating international issues,” said board member Rick Sepler.

“That is [just] not the business the co-op is in,” said board member Steve Moore, adding, “It is not why we were elected.”

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Port Townsend joins the Davis Co-op and the Seattle Co-op in rejecting BDS. Still being ravaged by the BDs'ers is the Scaramento Natural Food co-op. Patricia Daugherty and her partner Maggie Coulter have moved their attentions from Davis to Sac, in search of a BDS victory that remains as elusive in Northern California as Susquach. Want to help defeat the forces of darkness ?

Send emails to the Sacramento Natural Food Co-op and tell them the boycotts are a divisive tool that fragment our community and do nothing to futher the cause of peace in the middle east:

Emails of both Board and Policy Committee:
snfcboard@yahoo.com, michellereyn@gmail.com, sjbrancamp@aol.com, steven_maviglio@yahoo.com, adienst@sbcglobal.net, sonemi@comcast.net, rhdjr65@aol.com, paigelyn@sonic.net, barbara.mendenhall@comcast.net
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Visit the co-op and buycott, buycott, buycott!
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
1900 Alhambra Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95816
The Co-op is currently selling several Dead Sea products from Israel, including Masada Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts, Ancient Secrets Dead Sea Mineral Baths, One with Nature soap, Dead Sea Warehouse Mud Mask, Bath Salts, and Salt Soap. The Winter gift giving season is nearly upon us. Think about a making a gift basket for Mom with these wonderful products.
Buy your tofu, tempeh and beautiful organic vegies. Put your receipt into the suggestion box with a note- I shop the co-op AND I support Israel.
And keep your eyes open for other attempts of BDS'ers to infiltrate our beloved institutions