Boycott Israel.
The man in the photo with Henry is Basem Abu Rahme.
At the time (April, 2005) we were euphoric, having just completed one of the first protests against the Apartheid Wall in Bi'lin.
On April 17, 2009, Basem was murdered by invading Israel Occupation Forces, shot with a high velocity tear gas cannister, at the Bil'in weekly protest.
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Henry Herskovitz
Candidate Statement
On the Web at:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hersko/Letters/PFC%20Candidacy2.doc
Board Candidacy
People’s Food Co-op
February 27, 2009
"I was very impressed with the efforts of the Boycott Israel Group, whose dedication and hard work brought a petition to the Board of Directors of PFC in 2007 and enabled the Co-op to conduct a vote on whether to boycott products made in Israel. Though I played no part in that very successful effort to raise awareness of the atrocities committed by the state of Israel, I felt that what was lacking was a sympathetic ear of a Board member to their cause. I plan to be that ear, and voice for the Palestinian people.
"The wonderful part about our Co-op is that it promotes the value of social consciousness, as evidenced by Bob Schildgen’s message in this month’s Connection. And given the massacre of Gaza just committed over the holiday season by Israel, nothing could be more timely than a second effort by a socially conscious group like BIG, to commit our social energies into achieving a just peace in Palestine.
"I note that of this writing the 15,000 member Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, New York is considering a ban on Israeli products, and I would like our Co-op to be one of the leaders in this movement. It is time that the Ann Arbor political and co-operative communities came together to demand an end to the ethnic cleansing in Palestine. Boycotts, like the one proposed in 2007, is a peaceful means to achieve this goal; it is what I hope will be the main priority of the Board in 2009-2012.
"Voters should consider that I have been a participating member in the People’s Food Co-op since about 2002, well prior to my advocacy for Palestinian self-determination.
"I also bring 32 years of experience in working for a major manufacturing firm in southeast Michigan. When I retired, I was manager of the Design/Drafting group of this $1.8 billion corporation, responsible for the work of 12 CAD designers, and reported directly to the Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing. I understand corporate organizations, budget imperatives, business plans, and worked closely with associates in Human Resources."
Henry Herskovitz
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