A small but vocal faction at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is unnecessarily dividing a flourishing local institution.

The co-op, which sprouted during the natural foods movement of the early 1970s, has steered clear of political issues. There's no reason to change course now to placate some members who want to show solidarity with Palestinians by banning products made in Israel.

As The Bee's Ryan Lillis reported Thursday, the simmering dispute is coming to a boil. The activists, who say that Israel is violating Palestinians' human rights, have gone to court to force their initiative onto the ballot at the co-op's annual meeting in September. They have outside help from the National Lawyers Guild and have made their cause known by picketing outside the co-op at Alhambra Boulevard and S Street.

The board of directors is understandably concerned that any such boycott could lead to a substantial exodus from the co-op, which has grown from 1,500 to 12,000 members in the last two decades.

Maggie Coulter, the co-op member leading the initiative, argues that the co-op is already political because it espouses sustainable farming and humane treatment of animals.

But those causes are right in line with the mission of an organic food store that aspires to offer healthy products and to be environmentally conscious. They are of a different order entirely from an issue like the Mideast conflict.

Co-op leaders make a persuasive case that a ban on Israeli products could lead to a never-ending cycle of boycotts and litmus tests over any number of issues.

Should the co-op shun products made in China, which jails dissidents and has an abysmal human rights record?

Should it ban products from rural parts of California that voted for Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage? Should it ban products from Arizona, since it passed an immigration law that is widely viewed as hostile to Latinos? Where does it stop?

Co-op members ought to be able to make their own shopping decisions. If some feel strongly about the Palestinian cause, then they can opt not to buy matzo, or even bath salts sourced from Israeli waters.

Besides, there are more proper – and far more effective – forums for presenting views on the Mideast than the aisles of a grocery store. Not everything has to be about politics. Sometimes, food should just be food.

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