At the People's Food Co-op, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Boycott Israel.
The man in the photo with Henry is Basem Abu Rahme.
At the time (April, 2005) we were euphoric, having just completed one of the first protests against the Apartheid Wall in Bi'lin.
On April 17, 2009, Basem was murdered by invading Israel Occupation Forces, shot with a high velocity tear gas cannister, at the Bil'in weekly protest.
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Henry Herskovitz
Candidate Statement
On the Web at:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hersko/Letters/PFC%20Candidacy2.doc
Board Candidacy
People’s Food Co-op
February 27, 2009
"I was very impressed with the efforts of the Boycott Israel Group, whose dedication and hard work brought a petition to the Board of Directors of PFC in 2007 and enabled the Co-op to conduct a vote on whether to boycott products made in Israel. Though I played no part in that very successful effort to raise awareness of the atrocities committed by the state of Israel, I felt that what was lacking was a sympathetic ear of a Board member to their cause. I plan to be that ear, and voice for the Palestinian people.
"The wonderful part about our Co-op is that it promotes the value of social consciousness, as evidenced by Bob Schildgen’s message in this month’s Connection. And given the massacre of Gaza just committed over the holiday season by Israel, nothing could be more timely than a second effort by a socially conscious group like BIG, to commit our social energies into achieving a just peace in Palestine.
"I note that of this writing the 15,000 member Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, New York is considering a ban on Israeli products, and I would like our Co-op to be one of the leaders in this movement. It is time that the Ann Arbor political and co-operative communities came together to demand an end to the ethnic cleansing in Palestine. Boycotts, like the one proposed in 2007, is a peaceful means to achieve this goal; it is what I hope will be the main priority of the Board in 2009-2012.
"Voters should consider that I have been a participating member in the People’s Food Co-op since about 2002, well prior to my advocacy for Palestinian self-determination.
"I also bring 32 years of experience in working for a major manufacturing firm in southeast Michigan. When I retired, I was manager of the Design/Drafting group of this $1.8 billion corporation, responsible for the work of 12 CAD designers, and reported directly to the Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing. I understand corporate organizations, budget imperatives, business plans, and worked closely with associates in Human Resources."
Henry Herskovitz
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Another Food Co-op debates a boycott against Israeli Products:
On the local CBS TV news, at:
http://wcbstv.com/local/park.slope.israel.2.940061.html
Feb.20, 2009
by Jay Dow, WCBS TV News
NEW YORK (CBS)
...The 15,000 member food co-op in Park Slope is considering a ban on Israeli products because of the conflict in the Mideast. Officials there are now debating making an international statement after a member's proposal to take a symbolic stand against Israel.
So far the co-op staff has identified just four products from Israel, but they say it's possible there are others out of the 10,000 products offered at the co-op.
How do he members feel about losing Israeli grown persimmons, sweet peppers, paprika, and marshmallows? Reaction is mixed.
"Red peppers are the only thing that I would use of those four, and I would not boycott them," said co-op member Steve Monroe.
"I don't really support the boycott. But I really don't support the policy of Israel either," said Ted Stafford, another member.
But other say they would stand behind the decision if it goes through.
"Just make people more aware and more responsible in how we find the things that we sell," said member Crystal Whaley.
Members say until the boycott proposal reaches the co-op board's official agenda, they'll continue stocking the shelves based on a food's quality instead of its nationality.
______________________________________________
Video:
"Boycott Israel at People's Food Co-op"
Click on video image to enlarge it.
_______________________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZRZv34-Vac
It has been seen by over 10,600 viewers.
This news video was released in the 18th month of the campaign to boycott all Israeli products, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The boycott against Israeli products had gathered almost 1,000 petition signatures, demanding boycott, at the People’s Food Co-op, a grocery store.
The Zionists use very bloody language to oppose the boycott.
The Zionists openly encourage "more death" of Palestinian children, as you can see in the video.
_______________________________
Boycott of Israeli products:
A Pennsylvania Food Co-op debates boycott for 5 months.
Click on Co-op newsletter to enlarge it.
The Co-op newsletter is on the Web at:
http://weaversway.coop/uploads/shuttle/2005-07SHUTTLE.qxd.pdf
Here is an excerpt from that Co-op newsletter:
podium to present the arguments for the
boycott.
"A 25-year Co-op member, Hanna said the boycott of products made or
grown in the illegal Israeli settlements in
the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan
Heights was being proposed because 'the
settlements are a core injustice.'
"She said the organizers of the campaign against
settlement products are Arab-Americans
and Jewish Americans. Like a majority of
Israelis, they see the settlements as the
major obstacle to peace in the region."
Click on Co-op newsletter to enlarge it.
Click on Co-op newsletter to enlarge it.
___________________________________
"Despite distaste for settlements, Philadelphia’s Jews shun boycott"
"THE NEW STANDARD: "Central Ohio's Largest Circulation Jewish Newspaper" Thursday, 23 June 2005 Full article on the Web at: http://www.tnscolumbus.com/index.php?Itemid=26&id=1402&option=com_content&task=view Brief excerpts: | |
| "You would be hard-pressed to find many members of northwest Philadelphia’s vibrant Jewish community fully in favor of the presence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"Still, many members of an area co-op refused to go from there to boycotting produce grown in the territories.
"The controversy began in January, when a small group within Weavers Way Co-op, a food store owned and operated by its members, threatened to boycott produce from Israeli territories they consider illegally occupied. Working under the title Campaign Against Settlement Products, the group, with both Arab-American and Jewish members, claimed that buying the products supports the degradation of water resources in the area.
"The boycott proposal was brought to a vote in mid-May at the co-op’s biannual member’s meeting..." |
_____________________________________
The Boycott-Israeli-Goods movement has gathered over 700 Rainbow shoppers' signatures, to boycott Israeli goods.
On the Web site of "Rainbow Boycott Israeli Goods", at:
http://rainbowbig.blogspot.com/2008/08/rbig-renews-request-for-meeting-with_4206.html
Open Letter to Rainbow Workers:
RBIG is a group of workers and shoppers organized to
encourage Rainbow to boycott Israeli goods. After
Israel invaded Lebanon in July 2006, RBIG requested a
meeting with Rainbow about initiating such a policy.
We are renewing our request for a meeting for the
following reasons:
** The month of May is the 60th anniversary of the Nakba-
the zionist expulsion and ethnic cleansing of
Palestinians from their homeland.
** On April 24th the United Nations declared that Israel¹s
embargo of fuel has made it impossible to continue
its food aid program in Gaza, leaving 1-1/2 million
Palestinians without drinking water and food.
** RBIG now has over 700 Rainbow shoppers¹ signatures,
gathered at our weekly tabling, which petition the store
to boycott Israeli goods.
Enclosed is a letter, signed by workers and shoppers who are
people of color, expressing their strong objections to Israel¹s
racist policies and adding their voices to this request for a
meeting.
Also enclosed are the five letters we sent Rainbow over the last
20 months stating our reasons for urging the store to consider
initiating such a boycott.
Sincerely,
Nell Myhand (510)-485-6065
Jean Kuchinsky Pauline
Tom Brown
RBIG
On the Web at:
http://rainbowbig.blogspot.com/2008/08/people-of-color-support-rainbow-grocery.html
5/10/2008
Dear Rainbow Grocery
We are writing as shoppers at Rainbow Grocery who are people
Some of us are fairly new to the Bay Area and some of us have
We also shop at Rainbow because we expect progressive
In the April 2008 issue of Vanity Fair, the role of the Bush
As individuals and organizations (including small businesses)
Sincerely,
Shirley Yee
Faris Barhoum
Pablo Jim
Samia Shoman
Jahahara Alkebulan Maat
Sharon Lungo
Chris Lymbertos
Lily Haskell
Adnan Hamwi
Sannah Rahim
Phil Hutchings
Jess Ghannam
Happy Hyder
Joyce Umamoto
Ayesha Gill
Chris Mazaleh
Nissor Ahmed
Ali Abong
Patricia Hemphill
Grace Shalhoub
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