The New York Times chronicles a silly debate afflicting Brooklyn’s Park Slope Co-op. Some of the Co-op’s members want to boycott Israeli foodstuffs. The opponents seem to be winning:

Opponents have accused boycott supporters of anti-Semitism and contended that a boycott would achieve nothing, pointing out that the co-op carries at most about a half-dozen Israeli items, including SodaStream soda makers, organic paprika and bath salts.

“I can’t believe how much attention this is getting,” said Barbara Mazor, a founder of an antiboycott group called More Hummus, Please.

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Seated in front of a wall that was decked in campaign signs and instructions for volunteers with titles like “Canvas 101,” Mike Pederson of Nashua reviewed the talking points that had been handed to him by the [Obama] campaign. The focus of the phone-banking operation on this day was on how the health care reform law would affect Medicare, and he stayed on message as he ignored the full spread of Girl Scout cookies, soft drinks and vegetables that had been set up on a nearby table.