Overview
- The Louis D. Brandeis Center sent a formal demand to the coop saying meetings had grown tense and that Jewish members faced intimidation and hostile rhetoric during debate over a proposed boycott of Israeli products.
- The coop confirmed it will proceed with the boycott referendum and a separate rule change that would remove a 75 percent supermajority requirement for approving boycotts.
- Coop leadership said the membership meeting will be hybrid with more than 3,500 virtual registrants, virtual votes will be cast electronically to protect privacy, and the board is weighing holding the meeting fully remote.
- Advocates point to a widely reported meeting remark that “Jewish supremacism is a problem in this country” and say such statements, plus a hostile atmosphere, have driven some Jewish members to avoid deliberations.
- The Brandeis Center warned that failing to provide anonymous balloting and remote options could expose the coop to legal claims of discriminatory treatment and could affect turnout, member safety, and the legitimacy of the vote.