Friday, October 12, 2007
Most unexpected, though 262 members were in favor of the boycott: By a landslide, co-op rejects Israel boycott
Despite the efforts of a group called Boycott Israeli Goods, products made in Israel will remain on the shelves of the People's Food Co-op of Ann Arbor.
At a meeting of the co-op's Board of Directors last night, officials announced the outcome of a vote to determine whether the organization should boycott Israeli products. The final vote was 262 members in favor of the ban and 866 opposing it...
...Although the co-op's Board of Directors rejected the proposed referendum, the group collected 600 signatures - enough to force a vote by co-op members. A majority of the votes was needed to implement the ban...
Now that sounds familiar...a small group at the top tries to foist a boycott on the membership and loses when it comes to a vote.
I live in Ann Arbor, where the Coop boycott saga is in the Ann Arbor News a lot. I am surprised it made it onto the radar screens of anyone in Boston (or national). Was this story actually covered nationally? Do people know that the *er* individuals who supported the boycott also picket a local synagogue every Saturday?
It's interesting to me because I follow this type of thing. It's not a big story nationally that I know of. I think I had read about that group and their picketing a synagogue...oh yeah, here:
http://www.a2vigil.org/
http://worshipwithoutharassment.org/
http://antiracistblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-from-protests-against-daniel.html (protesting Daniel Pipes)
Aimee Smith and her hubby, some of the leaders of that boycott and picketing group, came to Ann Arbor from Boston couple years ago. She pushed the same extreme anti-Israel agenda here when she was chairing the MA branch of the US Green party. She kept in touch with her Green-Rainbow buddies who tried similar tricks here in Somerville - while she joined the Michicah Greens. So, some folks in Boston do follow Ann Arbor boycott saga and demise of the Huron Valley Greens.
Thanks guys. Maybe Boston would like to have Aimee Smith back? :)