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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rep. Ritchie Torres demands investigation of socialist-leaning Park Slope Food Co-op over alleged anti-Israel hate
The Park Slope Food Co-op is cooking up anti-Israel hate — and must be investigated by the city and state, a Bronx congressman urged this week. Rep. Ritchie Torres fired off letters Friday to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other city and state honchos demanding the state Division of Human Rights and NYC Commission on Human Rights probe allegations of 'an insidious pattern of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination' against Jews — or anyone who is pro-Israel at the crunchy Brooklyn co-op. 'Anti-discrimination laws must be rigorously and impartially enforced — without exception,' the Bronx Democrat wrote Friday. The socialist-leaning Union Street institution has long been locked in a holy war over Middle East politics, highlighted by members in 2012 voting down joining an international boycott of Israel products during a contentious meeting that became ripe for mockery by Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.' But in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, members who support the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement have seized control of the co-op's governance, according to Torres and members sympathetic to Israel. 'The cumulative effect is the creation of a hostile environment for Jews, particularly those who affirm a connection to the Jewish homeland,' wrote Torres, who is mulling a run for governor. Zara Watkins, a co-op member who opposes the BDS movement, said she was menaced and cursed at last Halloween for wearing a costume paying tribute to the Israeli-made product Sabra hummus. One man 'seething with rage' repeatedly circled her while 'muttering' under his breath, and another dropped an F-bomb and gave her the finger over her costume, she recalled. 'It really shook me up,' said the lawyer, adding her complaints to the co-op's 'dispute resolution committee' were blown off. Jewish co-op member Ramon Maislen said he tried to thwart efforts by a pro-boycott campaign, known as the Park Slope Food Co-op Members for Palestine, to take over the PSFC's leadership last year by running for a seat on the co-op's board of directors. Maislen, 43, said he not only lost to the pro-BDS faction, but was verbally abused by Israel-hating members on many occasions despite trying to broker a peaceful solution. He and other members said they fear it's only a matter of time before the new leadership institutes a boycott on Israel products, without having members vote on it. 'We feel let down by the co-op's leadership, which has done nothing to fester out the hatred that has been simmering,' said Maislen, who heads a political action committee called 'Brooklyn BridgeBuilders' that has raised more than $56,000 to help defeat anti-Israel Park Slope Councilwoman Shahana Hanif in the June 24 Democratic primary. The real estate developer filed his own complaint with the state Human Rights Division in October over alleged harassment against members opposing the campaign to boycott Israeli products. The harassment allegedly included pro-BDS members spewing Nazi slogans at Jews and sneering they 'smell of Palestinian blood.' The complaint is still pending. Reps for Park Slope Food Co-op Members for Palestine could not be reached for comment, but they wrote in an open letter that they back a boycott on Israel-made products to ensure the co-op is 'not supporting an apartheid government and unfolding genocide.' Joe Holtz, co-founder of the food co-op, said the PSFC 'is against discrimination of any kind' and declined further comment. The co-op, founded in 1973, requires its 16,000-plus members to work 2.75-hour shifts every six weeks, in exchange for the privilege of purchasing heavily discounted groceries and voting on store policies. The city intends to review 'the troubling events at the co-op' and will respond to Torres 'with more information,' said mayoral spokeswoman Sophia Askari. 'Mayor Adams has been clear that far too often we see antisemitic propaganda masquerading as activism, and it has led to an unacceptable rise in antisemitism throughout our city and country,' said Askari. 'This is on full display in incidents at the Park Slope Food Co-op — where Jewish people are being harassed simply for being Jewish.' Hochul spokesperson Matthew Janiszewski said the governor has a long history of taking 'aggressive action to fight antisemitism in New York,' but he added the office cannot comment on pending investigations before the Division of Human Rights.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Rep. Ritchie Torres demands probe of Park Slope Food Co-op
The Park Slope Food Co-op is cooking up anti-Israel hate — and must be investigated by the city and state, a Bronx congressman urged this week. Rep. Ritchie Torres fired off letters Friday to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other city and state honchos demanding the state Division of Human Rights and NYC Commission on Human Rights probe allegations of 'an insidious pattern of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination' against Jews — or anyone who is pro-Israel at the crunchy Brooklyn co-op. 'Anti-discrimination laws must be rigorously and impartially enforced — without exception,' the Bronx Democrat wrote Friday. Advertisement 3 Rep. Ritchie Torres called on both the city and the state to probe the well-known Park Slope Food Co-Op for discrimination. Matthew McDermott The socialist-leaning Union Street institution has long been locked in a holy war over Middle East politics, highlighted by members in 2012 voting down joining an international boycott of Israel products during a contentious meeting that became ripe for mockery by Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.' But in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, members who support the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement have seized control of the co-op's governance, according to Torres and members sympathetic to Israel. Advertisement 'The cumulative effect is the creation of a hostile environment for Jews, particularly those who affirm a connection to the Jewish homeland,' wrote Torres, who is mulling a run a run for governor. Zara Watkins, a co-op member who opposes the BDS movement, said she was menaced and cursed at last Halloween for wearing a costume paying tribute to the Israeli-made product Sabra hummus. One man 'seething with rage' repeatedly circled her while 'muttering' under his breath, and another dropped an F-bomb and gave her the finger over her costume, she recalled. 3 Zara Watkins, a co-op member, paid tribute to Israel with a Sabra Hummus costume – but faced backlash from other members. Obtained by the NY Post Advertisement 'It really shook me up,' said the lawyer, adding her complaints to the co-op's 'dispute resolution committee' were blown off. Jewish co-op member Ramon Maislen said he tried to thwart efforts by a pro-boycott campaign, known as the Park Slope Food Co-op Members for Palestine, to take over the PSFC's leadership last year by running for a seat on the co-op's board of directors. Maislen, 43, said he not only lost to the pro-BDS faction, but was verbally abused by Israel-hating members on many occasions despite trying to broker a peaceful solution. He and other members said they fear it's only a matter of time before the new leadership institutes a boycott on Israel products, without having members vote on it. Advertisement 'We feel let down by the co-op's leadership, which has done nothing to fester out the hatred that has been simmering,' said Maislen, who heads a political action committee called 'Brooklyn BridgeBuilders' that has raised more than $56,000 to help defeat anti-Israel Park Slope Councilwoman Shahana Hanif in the June 24 Democratic primary. 3 The Park Slope Food Co-op has more than 16,000 members. J.C. Rice The real estate developer filed his own complaint with the state Human Rights Division in October over alleged harassment against members opposing the campaign to boycott Israeli products. The harassment allegedly included pro-BDS members spewing Nazi slogans at Jews and sneering they 'smell of Palestinian blood.' The complaint is still pending. Reps for Park Slope Food Co-op Members for Palestine could not be reached for comment, but they wrote in an open letter that they back a boycott on Israel-made products to ensure the co-op is 'not supporting an apartheid government and unfolding genocide.' Joe Holtz, co-founder of the food co-op, said the PSFC 'is against discrimination of any kind' and declined further comment. Advertisement The co-op, founded in 1973, requires its 16,000-plus members to work 2.75-hour shifts every six weeks, in exchange for the privilege of purchasing heavily discounted groceries and voting on store policies. The city intends to review 'the troubling events at the co-op' and will respond to Torres 'with more information,' said mayoral spokeswoman Sophia Askari. 'Mayor Adams has been clear that far too often we see antisemitic propaganda masquerading as activism, and it has led to an unacceptable rise in antisemitism throughout our city and country,' said Askari. 'This is on full display in incidents at the Park Slope Food Co-op — where Jewish people are being harassed simply for being Jewish.' Hochul spokesperson Matthew Janiszewski said the governor has a long history of taking 'aggressive action to fight antisemitism in New York,' but he added the office cannot comment on pending investigations before the Division of Human Rights.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
'I'm not going to hide any more.' Upstate NY workers accuse elected official of harassment
Time after time, the highway department employee alleged, the Town of Orange highway superintendent would find reason to have her alone with him after a job. Their drives from a worksite, after the male employees had been sent away separately, grew more worrisome, she alleged in a complaint to the state's Division of Human Rights. The superintendent, John Rappleye, would strike up conversations about her personal life, and some would start to veer into sexual content. She'd change the subject, she said. The woman who complained said he once called her a "stupid b-----" and used the "n-word" as well as an ethnic slur for Italians. Neither Rappleye nor a lawyer who has represented him responded to calls. Her complaint is one from four separate Town of Orange workers about Rappleye's conduct. The state Division of Human Rights ruled against one of the complainants, according to the records obtained through the Freedom of Information Law. But for officials in the small Schuyler County town — a town of 1,400 located about 13 miles west of Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake — those complaints have become tricky to respond to. Like other localities, the town board can't fire Rappleye. It has placed him under strict conditions, determining that he cannot meet with other employees without another town official present and must have a deputy superintendent relay work assignments and other jobs. More: How do we get rid of problematic elected officials? 3 upstate NY towns have same question More: Can you get rid of an elected official in NY? Here's what can be done According to a town resolution last year, Rappleye was accused of sexual harassment, threats, racist and sexist comments, and bullying. Rappleye has denied the allegations, records show. The allegations against Rappleye arose at a contentious town board meeting late last year in the Town of Orange. "If these people that are getting these (highway) jobs are so soft that they can't take instruction from a man that's got his seniority, that's got his experience, that was raised and grew up in the generation of tough men ... that man's got a heart of gold, if he called someone a this or that, that's how men in this industry work," said one man who spoke, according to a report from WENY News. "You have to think, if this were my parents, and they were coming home and they were being called these things, and being told these things, which made a work environment where they're not comfortable, I would hope someone would stand up for them too, " said a woman at the meeting, WENY reported. The woman who alleged that Rappleye made sexual remarks to her also alleged that he retaliated against her after complaints. Her state complaint says, "I've been put in fear of this man and I'm not going to hide any more." — Gary Craig is a veteran reporter with the Democrat and Chronicle, covering courts and crime and more. You can reach Craig at gcraig@ He is the author of two books, including "Seven Million: A Cop, a Priest, a Soldier for the IRA, and the Still-Unsolved Rochester Brink's Heist." This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: John Rappleye, Orange NY highway superintendent, accused of harassment
