Dear friends,

The Olympia Food Co-op boycott of Israeli products
(except for fair trade olive oil) has generated much controversy and
emotion. I do pray for healing and understanding among those who support
and those who oppose such a boycott in the community of Olympia,
Washington and around the world. All of us must stand together and mourn
the loss of life generated by this conflict. May their memories be a
blessing.

The Food Co-op and many concerned citizens around the
world have asked the question: How do we transform the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the use of nonviolence? What is
meaningful action?

While negotiations, lobbying and dialogue
occur, those who have been directly impacted by occupation, the
Palestinians, have called upon the world to engage in meaningful
nonviolent action to apply pressure upon Israel so that Israel cannot
conduct the business of occupation as usual. Have we all not seen and
read about life in Palestine under occupation? The Goldstone report, B’tselem, Gisha
and many other organizations and individuals have documented the
systematic violation of Palestinian human rights in the past several
years. How do we both construct peace and engage in non-cooperation with
policies that systematically violate human rights on a daily basis?

Boycott
is a time honored method which was the catalyst that ended legal
segregation in the United States. Boycott is the primary tool of those
engaged in nonviolent resistance to systematic injustice. Boycott
targets unjust policies. It is not about ‘the right to exist’; Everyone
has the right to ‘exist’. Rather, boycott is a tool that focuses on the
right to live a life free from a policy of land seizure, internal
transfer, administrative detention and other forms of violent and
harmful actions levied against people who do not want to give up their
land.

I want to explain my personal reasons for supporting the
decision of the Co-op not to limit their boycott to the West Bank. I
believe that the articulation of a position that there is a line that
separates products ‘made in the West Bank’ and those ‘made in Israel’ is
difficult to stand by if you look deeply at the issue.

1)
The mechanics of occupation is not limited to the West Bank. I’m sure
you’ve all heard about the 300 bedouin Palestinians made homeless two
days ago, in the Negev settlement known as al-Araqib, homes destroyed by
the way with a Caterpillar bulldozer flying an Israeli flag. This is an
ongoing reality of Palestinian life under occupation, that is, the loss
of land. Now, almost 80% of of West Bank land is considered Israeli
State land. Palestinian families are continually being driven from their
homes.

Furthermore, Israel inside the green line is the agency of
occupation and conducts, plans, prepares and executes aspects of the
occupation from inside the green line.

2) Israel prevents
Palestinian exports from reaching their destination all the time. Trying
to sell West Bank products in Israel or abroad is a seriously
challenging issue. Bottles are smashed, fruit is left to rot, clothes
are ruined. This happens in the intersection of borders. Palestinians
and their products have no right to any border passage. All movement of
people and goods is controlled by Israel.

3) Lest we forget Gaza
and the closure. 60% of Gazans suffer food insecurity. That is truly a
stunning number. 90% of the products sold in Gaza come from Israel. Why?
No manufacture is allowed in Gaza due to shortages of materials.
Farmers are shoot dead in their fields all the time. Fisherman are
prevented from fishing. The closure has not been lifted. Hence, the
application of boycott until such time as the borders are open and
people and goods can come and go according to international standards of
passage.

4) While I believe we must be understanding,
compassionate, gracious and clear in the use of our language when
engaging with those who do not support nonviolent means of conflict
transformation such as boycott, BDS is really about focusing on Israel’s
occupation of Palestinian towns, villages and farm land including East
Jerusalem, the Negev, the Galilee, Ramlah, Jaffo, Lod, Nazereth, Acco
and the West Bank. The BDS movement has been very clear about including
Palestinians living inside Israel as part of the educational effort
around human rights issues facing the Palestinian community inside the
green line.

5) All use of anti-Semitic language or rhetoric, or
the slandering of others as anti-Semites or self-hating Jews must be
opposed. Our common ground, support of those who suffer indignities,
should be the focus.

Supporters of boycott are asking people to
shift loyalties from partisan support of one side or the other to
positions based on universal standards of human rights. Those who
support boycott are creating a broad based multifaith and multicultural
coalition that crosses boundaries and unites people based on what kinds
of behavior should not be tolerated by nation states according to
principles of international law.

My own activism includes
standards of food justice based on access and human rights in the United
States as well as other countries. I do not buy a range of products
based on human rights standards. The Food Co-op shares this ethic. Fair
Trade standards underlay their decision.

My support for the
Olympia Food Co-op is for these reasons. Groups that are limiting their
boycott to ‘Israeli settlement products’, or to corporations that profit
from occupation (such as the JVP campaign) can still reach out in
support of those who have taken a broader stance. This is a movement
issue.

Finally, there is the matter of Rachel Corrie. Like Rachel,
those who decided to boycott Israeli products have taken a meaningful
action that supports their desire to end occupation. They are moved to
action from on the ground experiences. As a forty year veteran of this
issue, I, too have witnessed what is happening on the ground and I am
moved to be part of the effort to change Israeli policy. I do this from a
love of people. I believe that Jewish tradition stands with me. Not
profiting or benefiting from the fruits of violence is a central tenet
of a life committed to nonviolence. Since the Jewish state is acting in
my name, I am forced to withdraw support for Israeli food products until
the closure is lifted, the policy of land seizure ends and negotiations
are taken up in a meaningful way. This does not mean I am cutting off
my relationships to the people I love on both sides. May all efforts to
construct peace continue. Meaningful nonviolent resistance to injustice
is part of the equation.

The Food Co-op community went beyond
endless discussions of exactly how one should act to resolve conflict,
and they acted. Whether people agree or disagree with the particulars of
any given action, at least support the courage of people who are
willing to act in behalf of those who are suffering on a daily basis.
May the process of reparative justice truly begin.

L’shalom,
Lynn Gottlieb