Friday, March 30, 2012

The Daily Show Skewers Israel Boycott Fight at Brooklyn Food Coop


For the last three years, a group of people who have been trying to get retailers to remove Israeli products from their shelves focused their attention on a Food Coop in the upscale neighborhood of Park Slope in Brooklyn. The Food Coop, in operation since 1973, primarily sells produce to its members who own and operate the store. But they also carry some packaged goods, including couscous, hummus, and a soda maker that are made in Israel.

The boycott advocates say they are campaigning against Israeli products because they are opposed to Israel's policies toward the Palestinians. Their presence has led to the entry of an opposing group called More Hummus, Please, which is trying to rebuff the boycotters and encourage the coop to carry even more Israeli products.

To the news team from Comedy Central's The Daily Show, this seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. The show loves to wade into controversies where logical behavior seems to be absent. This time the show sent its ace reporter Samantha Bee to visit the Coop and interview some of the protagonists and customers with the goal of highlighting whatever silliness and illogic she could find.

And find it she did, keeping a straight face as the sometimes unwary interviewees answered her questions as they would those of a serious news reporter.  So play the video and enjoy!

P.S. On Tuesday night the members of the coop voted down a proposal to consider boycotting Israeli products by a vote of 1,005 to 653. So there will be more hummus in Brooklyn.

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)
 

1 comment:

  1. this is so funny and in another way, so sad, that "educated" ??? people can think this way - the other very funny comment was about the $1,000 stroller in the Park Slope area!!!

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