Olympia Food Co-op boycotts
Israel, pulls products
“Olympia Food Co-op: Products
pulled after board decides to
boycott nation”
“The board voted to boycott Israeli
products as a way to “compel Israel to
follow international law and respect
Palestinian human rights,” according to a
statement the board released.”
Boone, Rolf. "Olympia Food Co-op Boycotts Israel,
Pulls Products." The Olympian 21 July 2010. Web
Olympiakomo.com
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
PeacePeace Oil: Shalom Aleichem
As Adam Horowitz
reported in the
Mondoweiss “There is
one product not
included in the boycott
- “Peace Oil,” a brand
of olive oil fairly traded
from Palestinian
farmers in the West
Bank and Palestinian
and Jewish women in
the Galilee.”
There is one
solitary product
that is from Israel
that was not
discontinued
because of the
Olympia Food
Coop joining the
Boycott,
Divestment, and
Sanctions
movement.
Horowitz, Adam. "Olympia Food Co-op removes Israeli products from shelves." Mondoweiss: The War of
Ideas in the Middle East. N.p., July 19, 2010. Web. 15 Sep 2010.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Why Israel?
“I salute the great work of the peoplein Olympia….It is a step towardaccountability for Israel’s murder ofRachel Corrie.”
-Yonatan Shapira
It is probably no coincidence thatOlympia is the hometown of theInternational Solidarity Movementactivist Rachel Corrie who was killedseven years ago in Gaza – a Caterpillarbulldozer ran over her as she tried toprevent demolition of a Palestinianhouse.
Natasha Mozgovaya. “Food co-op in Rachel Corrie's hometown boycotts Israeli goods.” Tuesday, July 20, 2010. Haaretz.com
They aren’t banning Turkey, so why ban Israel?
Rachel Corrie in Palestine
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Olympia Food Co Op Takes Radical Step Toward Social JusticeCo op's decision to boycott Israeli products is a step in the right direction
“Something extremely valuable is happeningthere. Something truly radical. An awarenessthat people who are truly in favor of socialjustice must take a stand against bigotry, nomatter the target.”
- Daniel Lubetsky “Olympia Food Co Op's stance against boycott” blog.peaceworks.net – August 23, 2010originally posted by Bradley Buirston at Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz – August 8, 2010
photo: christiansincontext.org
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Don‟t Boycott Israel
Israeli boycott doesn‟t please everyone.
What they're saying is, "We consider your country so intrinsically reprehensible that we are going to treat all of your citizens as pariahs.“
Weisberg, Jacob. "Don't Boycott Israel." Newsweek 156.5 (2010): 22. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 Sept. 2010.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Boycotting Israeli goods is not the
first time Olympia Food Co-Op
is taking on a giant.
Other boycotts include “Colorado” for “legalizing discrimination
against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in 1992” and “China” for “its
occupation of Tibet.”
ADMIN., "Olympia Food Co-op removes Israeli goods from shelves; first US store to institute boycott." Olympia
BDS (July 19, 2010): n. pag. Web. 14 Sep 2010.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Olympia Food Co-op Boycott Deemed Controversial
Olympia Food Co-op members get another chance to discuss a controversial board decision to boycott Israeli products at its two stores
“This is a pretty big issue. The membership was not informed in the decision making process, which we feel is problematic.”
–Rabbi Seth Goldstein (Olympia, WA)
Local Newspaper: Rolfe Boone, “The Olympian”
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Israel violates human rights
Israeli Defense Forces apply various
abusive techniques on Palestinians.
“Security forces killed at least 573 Palestinians and
one foreign national and injured 2,992 Palestinians
and other persons during the year, some of whom
were innocent bystanders.”
Cordesman, Anthony H. The Israeli-Palestine War: Escalating to
Nowhere. Westport: Greenwood Group, 2005. Print.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
According to Time magazine journalist Mitch Frank, “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict isn’t a story about good people and evildoers. It’s about human beings who want to live in peace and prosperity on the land that their ancestors lived on.” To Frank, getting yourself out of the dark and coming up with your own, informed opinion is the first step in creating opportunity for peace.
Understanding the
Israeli-Palestinianconflict, its origins, and its effects can help you make a more informed decision about where you stand on the issue.
Mitch Frank. Understanding the Holy Land: Answering Questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Penguin Group. (2, 130) 2005.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
About 300 people filled The Olympia Center on Thursday night for a passionate debate on a recent controversial decision by the Olympia Food Co-op board to boycott Israeli-made products.
During an intense meeting with co-op and non co-op members, “About 115 people signed up to speak at the meeting, and speakers were asked to limit their comments. During the first hour, about 20 people spoke in support of the boycott, and 10 people spoke against it.” Noah Sochet, who said “he has worked at the co-op for six years,” said “the board’s decision was not made overnight, that the idea of boycotting Israeli products started two years ago.”
Rolf Boone “The Bellingham Herald”, Aug. 14, 2010
MANY MAY SPEAK, WHO DECIDES?
SMU DIGITAL JOURNALISM CLASS EXPLORES CONTROVERSY: SEPTEMBER PROJECT 2010
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the
root of the problemIsrael and Palestine at war over land.
“The ongoing battle between the Israelis and
Palestinians is rooted in a struggle between
the two peoples over land, national
identity, political power, and the politics of
self-determination.”
Milton-Edwards, Beverley. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: a
People's War. London: Routledge, 2009. Print.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Olympia Food Co-Op Feeds the Feud
By participating in the BDS, the Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions, Washington’s Olympian Food Co-Op is playing with politics instead of playing with their food.
Diament, Nathan. "Pre-Rosh Hashana Conference Call With Ambassador Michael Oren." Institute for Public
Affairs. IPA, September 13, 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010.
The BDS is described by Ambassador Michael Oren in a conference as, “the
lavishly-funded and global efforts to deny Israel the right to defend itself, and
indeed to deny Israel the right to exist.” Olympia Food Co-Op joining this
campaign is feeding the Israeli-Palestine feud.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Support builds for boycotts against Israel, activists say
Peace talks have been going on for decades and all they have resultedin are more dispossession
The movement has gained energy from a Palestinian boycottannounced in May of products made by Israeli settlers, but it also hassparked a backlash from Israeli lawmakers, who are now consideringa bill that would bar non-Israelis involved in "boycott divestmentsanctions" efforts from entering Israel for 10 years.
Farah Stockman. (2010, August 22). Support builds for boycotts against Israel, activists say. Boston Globe,p. A.2. Retrieved September 16, 2010, from US National Newspapers. (Document ID: 2116366251).
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Israeli envoy to enter Port Townsend fray over proposed co-op boycott
International politics have a local spotlight on Sunday, with two presentation offering opposing views of Israel in light of an expected decision about the Port Townsend Food Co-op
“Kittredge has called Israelis “bullies” who do not respect the rights of Palestinians and do not allow farmers to use their land”
Local Newspaper: “Peninsula Daily News”, Charlie Bermant
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Peace talks may better opinions of Israelis and help put an end to product boycott at the food co-op.
“President Obama called Friday [September 3] for Israel to extend its moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank as a good-will gesture to move peace talks with the Palestinians forward.”
U.S. Urges Israel to Extend Settlement Moratorium
By HELENE COOPER
September 10, 2010 NY Times
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Failing all else, Palestinians try boycott; Peaceful West Bank protest is the latest effort in the protracted struggle
to end occupation, gain statehood
An insufferable situation
“We are definitely committed to a path ofnonviolent resistance and defiance in theface of the settlement enterprise, and weare defiantly expressing our right to boycottthose products and I believe it is working.”
-Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad
Janine Zacharia. (2010, May 16). Failing all else, Palestinians try boycott; Peaceful West Bank protest is the latest effort in the protracted struggle to end occupation, gain statehood. The Washington Post,p. A.10. Retrieved September 16, 2010, from US National Newspapers. (Document ID: 2034208181).
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Olympia Food Co-op removes Israeli goods from shelves
The Olympia Co-op becomes the first US grocery store to publicly join
the protest against human right abuse in Israel.
“My hope is that by being the first in the US to adopt the boycott we act as a catalyst for other co-ops to join in. Each entity that joins may have a small effect on the big picture, but drop by drop fills the tub.” –Rob Richards (Co-op board member)
Local Newspaper: “Olympia BDS” http://www.olympiabds.org/
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Olympia Food Co-op Boycotts Israeli Goods
Why the Critics Are Wrong
“Critics of the Olympia Food Co-op’srecent decision to boycott severalIsraeli products until Israel ends itsinhumane occupation of Palestinianland and its suppression of Palestinianhuman rights have no moral or ethicalbasis to criticize the Food Co-op unlessthey can offer an alternative strategy toend Israel’s occupation.
Niva, S. (2010, July 26). CounterPunch. Retrieved September 10, 2010, from CounterPunch
Until they do so, they are simplyembracing and providing cover forthe injustices of Israel’soccupation, whether they are willingto admit it or not.”
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Olympia Food Co-op begins boycott of Israeli products
There is more than one side to conflict inthe Middle East
“This decision punishes one side in the MiddleEast conflict and negates any responsibility onthe part of Hamas, Islamic Jihad andPalestinian rejectionism. The market’s boarddid not invite anyone to speak on behalf ofIsrael’s position when it was in the process ofmaking its decision. Its deliberate failure to befair and open in the decision-making processgoes against basic democratic principles.”
-Doron Yaniv, Everett
Yaniv, D. (2010, July 22). Editorials/Opinion: The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from The Seattle Times
Northwest Voices | Letters to the Editor
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has voted to support the boycott of Israel in the first Israeli boycott resolution at a national level by a union in North America.
“At their annual national convention in Ottawa earlier this year, CUPW workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution of support for the Palestinian people's inalienable rights, including the right of return of refugees. The resolution also supports the global campaign of boycott, sanctions and disinvestment against Israeli apartheid.”
"CROSS-CANADA Action FOR PROGRESSIVE SOCIAL CHANGE." Canadian Dimension
42.4 (2008): 6-7. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Sept. 2010.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Israeli Report: Settler industry hurt by boycott
The Palestinian authority-led boycott of settlement-produced goods is having profound economic effects on the settlement industry in Israel.
"Since Palestine announced a boycott on products from the territories, I have had a 40% drop in production in recent months. exports to Europe have completely stopped and traders in territories have stopped working with us. The damage is huge."
http://coteret.com/2010/08/26/yediot-reports-on-damage-to-settlement-industry-caused-by-targeted-boycott/Remez, Didi, August 26th, 2010
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Romans Sack Jerusalem!Roman Empire scatters Jews and renames their land Palestine
“Jerusalem became officially offlimits to all Jews, and the countrywas ironically renamedPalestine, after the ancientPhilistines, arch-enemies of theearly Israelites.”
- James Fieser & John Powers Scriptures of the World's ReligionsCopyright 2008 photo: therablog.blogspot.com
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Buycott Israel! Campaign to Counter BDS
StandWithUs executive director Roz Rothstein says
that, “This is a movement to counter BDS with positive
energy.”
In reaction to the BDS, the Buycott Israel
campaign was launched. StandWithUs is a
movement promoting Israeli goods, that is an
effective and peaceful response to the anti-Israeli
boycott, divestment, and sanctions,
"Campaign to buy Israeli goods is launched." JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People. JTA, August
29, 2010 . Web. 15 Sep 2010.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Desmond Tutu backs U.S. food
co-op boycott of Israeli productsSouth African Nobel laureate Archbishop
Desmond Tutu issues statement of support for boycott announced by food co-op in Rachel Corrie‟s hometown of Olympia, Washington.
„“The Olympia Food Co-op has joined a growing worldwide movement on the part of citizens and the private sector to support by non-violent tangible acts the Palestinian struggle for justice and self-determination.‟ Tutu said.”
Mozgovaya, Natasha. "Desmond Tutu Backs U.S. Food Co-op Boycott of Israeli Products." The Haaretz Daily Newspaper[Israel] 28 July 2010. Web
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
In her controversial work, Kathleen Christison, author of Perceptions of Palestine: Their Influence on U.S. Middle East Policy, blames Zionist U.S. propaganda for a skewed perception of Palestinians and its heavy influence on Middle East policy. She says, “If public discourse had not been warped, policy might have been quite different.”
Kathleen Christison. Perceptions of Palestine: Their Influence on U.S. Policy. University of California Press . 15-17. (1999)
Olympia Food Co-op’sdecision to boycott Israeli-made products and activismlike it are increasing in theUnited States as citizens arebegin to see a Palestinianperspective on the conflictin the Holy Land.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Yohanna Kinberg, the associate rabbi of Temple Bnai Torah in Bellevue,
Washington is a member of the Olympia Food Co-op along with her husband.
They both are against the Board of Directors decision and takes matters into
their own hands.
Kinberg said, she protested the board‟s boycott decision with a lone vigil
outside one store on July 21. After posting news of the boycott vote on
Facebook, she was joined the next two days by larger groups numbering
about 20. She said that demonstrations against the boycott have continued
daily since then. The focus of the organizing effort right now is to focus on the
bad process of the co-op board and not make this a referendum on Israel. The
pro boycott people are not people you can argue with.
Paul Haist,”The Jewish Review”, 15th of September 2010
7th of Tishrei, 5771
CO-OP PROTESTS IT’S OWN BOYCOTT
SMU DIGITAL JOURNALISM CLASS EXPLORES CONTROVERSY: SEPTEMBER PROJECT 2010
Olympia co-op boycott debate cordial, passionate
Olympia August 14th, 2010—Nearly 300 people pack the Olympia center Thursday night for a heat-filled debate about the controversial decision made by the board of the Olympia food co-op to boycott Israeli-made products.
One by one, board members introduced themselves to the audience, but only board member Ron Lavigne spoke at length, saying the board understood its decision would be controversial but was there „to address the hurt and anger and to try and heal the community.‟
Rolf, Boone. “Olympia co-op boycott debate cordial, passionate” The Bellingham Herald. 14 Aug. 2010
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
One piece of product stays, “Peace Oil”
The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors has decided to boycott Israeli goods at their two locations in Olympia, Washington.
Well, Not exactly. The Olympia food Co-op has not boycotted everything. “One Israeli product is exempt from the boycott: ’Peace Oil,’ a brand of olive oil fairly traded from Palestinian farmers in the West Bank and the Galilee, will continue to be carried by the Co-op.”
Kasama July 24th, 2010
Tellnolies.org
SMU DIGITAL JOURNALISM CLASS EXPLORES CONTROVERSY: SEPTEMBER PROJECT 2010
Still Struggling, Israel and Palestine
Their [Jewish and Palestinian people] internecinestruggle, the overidentification of their expatriatecommunities with one side or the other , and thealignment of rival international interests haveintensified their conflict to the point that they havenot been able to create and live out their twonarratives as linked by anything other than mutualhostility.
Their histories have always been written as anapologia for one side or the other, with heavyemphasis on the tragedy of one at the hands of theother, and not as an indivisible world historicalphenomenon in which they are both swept up.
Stephen P. Cohen, “Beyond America’s Grasp: A century offailed diplomacy in the middle east” 2009, print. P. 175
Two Jewish men praying at wall.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
First U.S. Store to Boycott!
“My hope is that by beingthe first in the US to adoptthe boycott we act as acatalyst for other co-ops tojoin in. Each additionalorganizational entity thatjoins may have a very smalleffect on the big picture, butdrop by drop fills the tub,”says board member RobRichards of the OCF boycott.
-Haitham Sabbah, “Catbird Seat” July 21, 2010
As tensions mount, board members explain why they chose to boycott.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Two choices – Peace, or Endless War
Peace is Israel’s highest aspiration and a necessary conditionfor its secure existence.
“Two peoples live in the Land of Israel – the Jewish peopleand the Arab-Palestinian people. Both have natural andhistorical rights to this land. Therefore, the alternatives areclear: either compromise and partition, or endless war.”
Lukacs, Yehuda. "Review of Documents on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 1967-1983." The American Political Science Review. 79.4 (1985): 1275. Print. p. 283
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Group Forms to Oppose BoycottIts Our Co Op formed with goal of rescinding co op's boycott
“If you would like to speak out against theboycott, and I hope you will, but you're alsointerested in being part of a united voice, Ihope you'll join our group. … Please sendan email to [email protected]...”
- David Scherer WaterOlympia Power & Light
Issue #19Letters section
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Food Co-op in Rachel Corrie’s
hometown boycotts Israeli
goodsThe Olympia Food Co-op announced
last week that no more Israeli products will be sold at its two grocery stores.
"The fact that it is the home town of Rachel Corrie‟sparents and that it is represented by Rep Brian Baird (who has been to Gaza and is outspoken against Israel) makes this ripe for issues," said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi of The Israel Project, a pro-Israel organization.
Mozgovaya, Natasha. "Food Co-op in Rachel Corrie's Hometown Boycotts Israeli Goods." The Haaretz Daily Newspaper. 20 July 2010. Web. 14 Sept. 2010.
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010
Against Boycott and Divestment
"Punishing Israel's most progressive elements will not help to end the occupation"
"The idea that precipitating Israeli economic collapse will somehow hasten a democratic outcome is like blockading Gaza to sink Hamas."
Avishai, Bernard. “Against Boycott and Divestment” The Nation 5 Jul. 2010
SMU Digital Journalism Class Explores Controversy: September Project 2010