Jean Frances: River Valley Co-op member 76 voting ‘yes’

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Published: 10-22-2024 5:08 PM

I am member 76 of the River Valley Co-op. I was right there in the beginning, going to fundraising pancake breakfasts. I joined the co-op as a political act, believing it would reflect my values of local food, workers rights, sustainability, alternatives to corporate control of food systems, and support of businesses that reflect these values and universal human rights.

Now I have the opportunity to vote to have the co-op live up to my founding vision by voting “yes” on the proposal to de-shelf products from Israel. Today I am seeing the news that Palestinian and Lebanese children are being targeted and shot by the Israeli military. I can believe that the Israeli people, if they knew this — and I hear that there news is censored — would work to change their government’s policies (and I know a small minority are trying to do this).

The message we would send to Israeli businesses that we as a Valley business cannot tolerate this might be just the message they need to work for change and challenging the policies of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime, which is creating terror and instability in the whole region, including for the people of Israel and also here in the U.S. as antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise in this country and right here in the Valley.

Jean Frances

Easthampton

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