U.S. Lawmakers Seek to Criminally Outlaw Support for Boycott Campaign Against Israel - Polidicks

[url]https://theintercept.com/2017/07/19/u-s-lawmakers-seek-to-criminally-outlaw-support-for-boycott-campaign-against-israel/[/url] [quote]THE CRIMINALIZATION OF political speech and activism against Israel has become one of the gravest threats to free speech in the West. In France, activists have been arrested and prosecuted for wearing T-shirts advocating a boycott of Israel. The U.K. has enacted a series of measures designed to outlaw such activism. In the U.S., governors compete with one another over who can implement the most extreme regulations to bar businesses from participating in any boycotts aimed even at Israeli settlements, which the world regards as illegal. On U.S. campuses, punishment of pro-Palestinian students for expressing criticisms of Israel is so commonplace that the Center for Constitutional Rights refers to it as “the Palestine Exception” to free speech. But now, a group of 43 senators — 29 Republicans and 14 Democrats — wants to implement a law that would make it a felony for Americans to support the international boycott against Israel, which was launched in protest of that country’s decades-old occupation of Palestine. The two primary sponsors of the bill are Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland and Republican Rob Portman of Ohio. Perhaps the most shocking aspect is the punishment: Anyone guilty of violating the prohibitions will face a minimum civil penalty of $250,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $1 million and 20 years in prison. The proposed measure, called the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S. 720), was introduced by Cardin on March 23. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that the bill “was drafted with the assistance of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.” Indeed, AIPAC, in its 2017 lobbying agenda, identified passage of this bill as one of its top lobbying priorities for the year: [t]https://cdn01.theintercept.com/wp-uploads/sites/1/2017/07/aipac2-1500472315.png[/t] The bill’s co-sponsors include the senior Democrat in Washington, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, his New York colleague Kirsten Gillibrand, and several of the Senate’s more liberal members, such as Ron Wyden of Oregon, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Maria Cantwell of Washington. Illustrating the bipartisanship that AIPAC typically summons, it also includes several of the most right-wing senators such as Ted Cruz of Texas, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Marco Rubio of Florida. [/quote]

Hello again Chuck Schumer. At this point i know the answer, but the obesession over israel is very funny and confusing to see.

Could you not? Literally eliminating free speech for a few brownie points. Fuck off.

Sure, why we're at it let's make it a felony to support the Confederacy or white antionalist groups like the KKK or neonazism too. After all, it's not a matter of free speech or any fundamental right in our Constitution, right? [QUOTE]The bill’s co-sponsors include ... several of the Senate’s more liberal members, such as Ron Wyden of Oregon[/QUOTE] Ffs what are you doing, Wyden?

Looks like 2 members of the House Liberty Caucus are signed onto the House bill. This is a helluva way to express your libertarianism

Wyden you fucking idiot.

This is really stupid. While I hate BDS and everything that anti semitic campaign stands for, it's not worth it to set a precedent where boycotting anything could be prohibited.

Better get this post grandfathered in before it passes: Fuck Israel politics and fuck these older generations in the US that glorify Israel based on religious views and monetary gains. I have a by-blood Jewish girlfriend and we both agree these lobbying committee's need to mind to their own country and to stop playing the race/religion card to restrict other people's personal freedoms outside their own country.

Much as I'm against anti-semites and their hateful drivel, Israel and its associated lobbying groups really do keep giving me the impression they want to be 100% in control of the narrative regarding their government's actions and behaviors towards other nations and the Palestinians. Much as I hate to say it, I think that it's about time someone rightfully told AIPAC and the Israeli govt. to fuck off and work to solve their own problems instead of trying to sweep them under the rug internationally while working to criminalize those who shine a spotlight on their less noble actions. EDIT: That and Netanyahu and his ilk (not just Israeli politicians, but US congressmen/women as well) need to get removed from power already and replaced with reformists/moderates who aren't gonna seek to perpetuate the current state of things over there. Seems like many geopolitical issues these days are exacerbated due to a bunch of powerful, may-or-may-not-be corrupt older folks in governments and companies being unwilling to release power or change their ways/policy, and thus seeking to suppress those who disagree with them.

Hahahahaha, good luck. It will be struck down so fast by the courts that the ink used to sign it will still be wet when it's deemed unconstitutional and tore to shreds.

[QUOTE=Silence I Kill You;52490916]Hahahahaha, good luck. It will be struck down so fast by the courts that the ink used to sign it will still be wet when it's deemed unconstitutional and tore to shreds.[/QUOTE] One can hope, but given how the past couple of years have gone in terms of politics in general I'm gonna be hesitant to call it on whether it survives.

[quote=AIPAC] prohibiting U.S. persons from cooperating with efforts by international organizations [b]—including the U.N.—[/b] [/quote] Yeah, just ignore those pesky UN conventions, what a wonderful way to boost your international image. Looking through the article, it mentions quite a few senators didn't even read what the bill entailed, it's quite annoying that lobbying groups can have such sway over what is still a major debate in international politics.

oh hey, my senator sponsores this, just when i thought he might be going sane on us with the aca/medicaid gut [editline]20th July 2017[/editline] this can't be legal

I wish my government would stop sucking Israel's cock for a moment, and look at their atrocities for two moments.

what the fuck Wyden I voted for you going to send in an angry phone call and letter tomorrow, this is stupid

[QUOTE=Sableye;52491158]this can't be legal[/QUOTE] It isn't, this proposal is a blatant violation of the first amendment.

I would normally gloat and boast about how the US can't into freedom but luckily our very own previous socdem government has passed the same law in France, we're worse than the US. Once again this hellhole rogue state is caught redhanded highjacking OUR democracy. Israeli government is a plague unto the freer world. [QUOTE=Svinnik;52490880]This is really stupid. While I hate BDS and everything that anti semitic campaign stands for, it's not worth it to set a precedent where boycotting anything could be prohibited.[/QUOTE] If you actually believe BDS is antisemitic then you're just nothing short of a braindead JIDF goon. [editline]21st July 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Silence I Kill You;52490916]Hahahahaha, good luck. It will be struck down so fast by the courts that the ink used to sign it will still be wet when it's deemed unconstitutional and tore to shreds.[/QUOTE] I appreciate your optimism but would rather not take anything for granted if I were you :/

Can we get some people in the legislative body who aren't complete fucking morons?

[QUOTE=Svinnik;52490880]This is really stupid. While I hate BDS and everything that anti semitic campaign stands for, it's not worth it to set a precedent where boycotting anything could be prohibited.[/QUOTE] Senator Ben Cardin wrote an interesting letter explaining how this bill doesn't infringe on the First Amendment: [URL="https://medium.com/@SenatorBenCardin/setting-the-record-straight-nothing-in-the-the-israel-anti-boycott-act-restricts-constitutionally-13bfa7428d8"]https://medium.com/@SenatorBenCardin/setting-the-record-straight-nothing-in-the-the-israel-anti-boycott-act-restricts-constitutionally-13bfa7428d8[/URL] [QUOTE]We cannot state this strongly enough: the bill does not “punish U.S. persons based solely on their expressed political beliefs.” Nothing in the bill restricts constitutionally-protected free speech or limits criticism of Israel or its policies. Instead, it is narrowly targeted at commercial activity and is based on current law that has been constitutionally upheld. In particular, as you know, Congress has the authority to put limits on international commercial conduct. Pursuant to this authority, Congress amended the Export Administration Act (EAA) in 1977 to prohibit U.S. persons from complying with unauthorized foreign boycotts — specifically, the Arab League Boycott of Israel — and authorized penalties against violations. Courts have consistently upheld the Arab League Boycott provisions of the EAA. The bill makes one small but important change in current law. The EAA currently prohibits U.S. persons from complying with unsanctioned foreign boycotts imposed by foreign countries. The new legislation would extend this prohibition to unsanctioned foreign boycotts imposed by international governmental organizations such as United Nations agencies or the European Union. For example, if the United Nations Human Rights Council requests information from an American company about its business dealings in Israel or Israeli-controlled territories as part of an effort to compile a blacklist of companies doing business with Israel, the bill would prohibit the company from responding. The bill does not prevent U.S. companies and individuals from expressing their points of view, speaking in favor of boycott, divestment, or sanctions (BDS) activities, engaging in boycott activity of their own accord, or being critical of Israel. Individuals who “actively avoid purchasing goods and services” because of their own political viewpoint would not be subject to the bill. Similarly, the bill does not regulate civil society organizations who are critical of Israeli policies or prevent them from speaking in favor of BDS. The legislation does not encourage or compel persons to do business with Israel, nor does it punish individuals or companies from refusing to do business with Israel based on their own political beliefs, for “purely pragmatic reasons,” or for no reason stated at all. Any suggestion that this bill creates potential criminal or civil liability for these actions is false.[/QUOTE] [URL="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/720/text"]https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/720/text[/URL] The actual bill is here ^