The ACLU has written to Congress urging opposition to pending bills that seek to criminalize advocacy of boycotts against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The ACLU warned that proponents of the bills are “seeking additional co-sponsors,” and explained that the bills would “punish individuals for no reason other than their political beliefs.” MoveOn has…
The Los Angeles chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace reports that on Thursday, the California Senate Appropriations Committee will vote to either send the “anti-BDS” bill AB 2844 to the Senate floor for a full vote or leave it in the suspense file, where it would expire. Regardless of how you feel about “BDS,” this…
On Wednesday morning, the Executive Committee of the Illinois House is scheduled to consider SB 1761, a bill that would force state pension fund administrators to blacklist companies that boycott businesses that operate in “territories under the control of Israel” — i.e., in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This legislation not only infringes on…
Next week, the Presbyterian Church (USA) is holding its biennial general assembly in Detroit where they’ll consider a resolution to divest $17 million from three companies—Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett-Packard—that participate in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Just Foreign Policy will be in Detroit for this potentially historic vote—and we want to bring your messages…
The Presbyterian Church (USA) is holding its biennial general assembly in Detroit where they’ll consider a resolution to divest $17 million from three companies—Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett-Packard—that participate in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Many groups that oppose pressure on the Israeli government to change its policies are demanding that the Presbyterians vote against…
Maryland: Bill Defunding Universities With Ties To Israel Boycotters Dies In Committee Watered Down Condemnation Appears In Maryland State Budget Bill Contact: Susan Kerin, skerin1@msn.com, Keep Speech Free in the Free State (4/7/2014 – Annapolis, MD) As the Maryland General Assembly completed its work on the state budget bill, legislators inserted language that weakly condemns the American Studies Association (ASA) decision to boycott Israeli…
[This statement is now posted on the website of the Maryland coalition, "Keep Free Speech in the Free State." A direct link is here. A press release is here.] Statement from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on 2 April 2014 US EFFORTS TO CURB FREEDOM OF SPEECH ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, OF GRAVE CONCERN I am writing…
The following statement was issued by the Illinois ACLU against SJR 59, State Sen. Silverstein’s resolution condemning academic boycotts. Update: the statement is now posted on the Illinois ACLU website here. —– To: Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Re: Senate Joint Resolution 59Date: 3/25/14 The ACLU of Illinois opposes Senate Joint Resolution 59, a…
Note: this memo is primarily aimed at tech-savvy kids, not at old fogie technophobe Luddites. If you are a technophobe, move along, nothing to see here. Background: the world has changed, right? We do online petitions now. It’s more efficient on both sides of the interaction – easier to pass, easier to sign; you don’t…
Sonya Michel Professor of history, women’s studies and American studies University of Maryland College Park, Md. Dear Ms. Michel, I was very disappointed to see you argue in the NYT that Omar Barghouti "vastly overstates" the yes vote in the American Studies Association on the boycott of Israeli higher education institutions by…