libertyblitzkrieg | Assaults on freedom speech can be found in many aspects of American
life these days, but one specific area that isn’t getting the attention
it deserves relates to boycotts against Israel. Increasingly, we’re
seeing various regional governments requiring citizens to agree to what
essentially amounts to a loyalty pledge to a foreign government in order
to participate in or receive government services.
I’m going to highlight two troubling examples of this, both covered by Israeli paper Haaretz. The first relates to Kansas.
From the article, In America, the Right to Boycott Israel Is Under Threat:
The First Amendment squarely protects the
right to boycott. Lately, though, a legislative assault on that right
has been spreading through the United States – designed to stamp out
constitutionally protected boycotts of Israel…
Over the past several years, state and federal legislatures have
considered dozens of bills, and in some cases passed laws, in direct
violation of this important ruling. These bills and laws vary in
numerous respects, but they share a common goal of scaring people away
people from participating in boycotts meant to protest Israeli
government policies, including what are known as Boycott, Divestment,
and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns.
Today, the ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging one of those
laws — a Kansas statute requiring state contractors to sign a statement
certifying that they do not boycott Israel, including boycotts of
companies profiting off settlements in the occupied Palestinian
territories.
If this was the only example of such behavior, I suppose we could
dismiss it as a one-off, misguided directive. Unfortunately, this sort
of thing is far more common than any of us would like to admit.
Here’s another recent example, from the article, Houston Suburb Won’t Give Hurricane Relief to Anyone Who Boycotts Israel:
A Houston suburb will not approve grants to
repair homes or businesses damaged in Hurricane Harvey if the applicant
supports boycotting Israel.
The city of Dickinson’s application form for storm damage
repair funding includes a clause stating that “By executing this
Agreement below, the Applicant verifies that the Applicant: (1) does not
boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of this
Agreement.”
