Dave Reed talks with Olivia Katbi Smith, national U.S. organizer for the BDS Movement and co-chair of the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, about being the target of internet harassment, and Michael Arria interviews Palestine Legal’s Meera Shah about their new website that tracks anti-BDS legislation around the U.S.
A Georgia state legislator who has pushed the anti-boycott law in that state testified that the Israeli consulate “asked me” to make changes in the legislation. She appeared at the hearing with an Israeli consular officer seated at her side, and introduced him to the legislative committee.
There’s been a lot of talk about foreign governments intervening in our political process over the last few years, but some stories certainly don’t permeate mainstream discourse.
Destruction and theft of Palestinian property by Israel is an indisputable violation of international law, and it’s why the BDS movement exists. Democrats and Republicans dispute many issues but are amazingly united against BDS. If only they could work in such a bipartisan fashion to solve many of the problems in our own country, rather than to protect a foreign state oppressing millions of indigenous people.
MA Rep. Seth Moulton has taken progressive stances on Israel, supporting a bill against funding Israel’s detention of Palestinian children and standing up for BDS advocates’ right of free speech. But he appears to have flipflopped on both positions now that he is running for president and the blob hit him.
A new Israeli law bars entry to those involved in boycotting Israel and criminalizes even those who have supported a ‘partial’ boycott targeting settlements. Activists and organizations, even the liberal Zionist ones who have supported boycott of settlements, now have to ask themselves: If Israel does not differentiate between itself and its occupied territories, if Israel bars entry to any foreigner who boycotts (even if they are Zionist), why should the boycotters make the differentiation between Israel and its settlements?
Since the American Studies Association (ASA) voted overwhelmingly to boycott Israeli academic institutions in December,…
Legislation that targets the American Studies Association over its decision to boycott Israel passed its…