Re: 5-1-2019 One way to silence Israel boycotts? Get lawmakers to pass anti-BDS bills - Liz Essley Whyte, Center for Public Integrity, USA Today

And one way to reclaim our voices is to litigate and have a federal judge declare these laws unconstitutional, as happened this spring overturning an anti-BDS Texas law. Thus revealing that those who wish to silence legitimate criticism and political pressure against Israel's oppressive policies and practices have no respect for constitutional rights. 

On Wed, May 8, 2019, 10:29 PM Judith Ferster <jferster@ncsu.edu> wrote:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2019/05/01/statehouse-model-bills-bds-protest-bans/3575083002/

 

…A rapid succession of states – 27 in four years – adopted measures to curb the initiative known as BDS. These new laws and executive orders were crafted by activists, then copied from one state to the next and adopted with virtually identical language. Most require tens of thousands of state contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel or lose their government funding. Other efforts require state pension boards to divest from companies that boycott Israel. .. As part of a two-year investigation into copycat legislation in statehouses, the Center for Public Integrity and  USA TODAY examined dozens of anti-boycott bills and executive orders and then traced the communication between pro-Israel lobbyists and lawmakers who supported their efforts…

 

Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

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