Brooklyn co-op removes Israeli products amid renewed BDS pressure

The global campaign to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel has experienced varying levels of support over the past two decades, with some sectors of the Israeli economy feeling its effects more than others. While the movement has achieved occasional localized successes, it has generally struggled to gain widespread traction.

That dynamic may be shifting, according to recent developments at a prominent food cooperative in Brooklyn, New York.

The Park Slope Food Coop, a well-known institution in a neighborhood with historic ties to New York City's Jewish community, has reportedly removed a number of Israeli-made products from its shelves following pressure from pro-BDS activists.

Among the affected products are skin care items and shampoos manufactured by ecoLove, an Israeli company based in the southern city of Ofakim. The company employs dozens of Jewish and Arab workers at its production facility and relies on a supply chain that includes factories and workshops in several Israeli communities – some majority Jewish, others majority Arab.

Supporters of the boycott view the move as a victory for the BDS campaign while critics argue that such actions disproportionately impact businesses that provide employment opportunities across Israel's diverse population.

Sharona Romano-Lazar, owner of ecoLove, spoke to Ynet News about the recent decision by the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn to remove some of the company’s products – a move that affects a client relationship that has lasted for years.

“We are in complete shock over this step,” Romano-Lazar said. “They boycotted our organic skincare products because they are made in Israel, and where? In Brooklyn, which is a distinctly Jewish neighborhood. If this store, which has many shoppers, boycotts us and it spreads from there to more stores and more chains, it will become a rolling event that puts us in trouble.”

Addressing whether New York is becoming a less favorable business environment for Israeli companies under the policies of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, she replied, “I assume that in the current political atmosphere there is more freedom and comfort to do this, to boycott Israel without paying a price. If we have reached that point, that is very bad.”

“The big worry is that it will start becoming like a contagious disease, and suddenly more stores and more chains will say they are not willing to carry Israeli products,” she added.

Romano-Lazar also said the company is responding by focusing on strengthening demand and maintaining a positive business outlook rather than engaging in public controversy.

“We are trying to increase sales and show that the products are in demand, instead of creating a media mess that will only hurt us more,” she said. “What worries us is not only what happens at one co-op in Brooklyn. When such a boycott receives international media exposure, the fear is the message it sends to the entire market and to additional commercial partners.”

She also said her company is well-established in the Israeli market, where demand remains strong, meaning ecoLove is not at risk of going out of business even if the U.S. market becomes less lucrative.

However, she noted that many other Israeli companies are far more dependent on the American market and could be significantly more affected by similar developments.

“For small and midsize Israeli companies, entering the American market is a complex and especially expensive move that requires years of investment, regulation, standards, building relationships with distributors and chains, creating trust with consumers and competing in an enormous market,” she explained. “Every point of sale is an achievement built over time. We never imagined that shampoo, conditioner and body wash would become part of a political struggle.”