Palestine Legal's Statement on Shurat HaDin's Claim against GE

Credit: Thomas Hawk

September 10, 2015, Chicago – Palestine Legal issued the following statement today in response to Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center’s letter urging the General Electric company to breach its union contract with the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE): 

Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center’s claim that General Electric could be subject to ‘severe criminal and civil liability’ because the UE – with which the company has a union contract – endorsed BDS is based on unsupported allegations and fantastical legal theories that ignore a host of state and federal laws as well as the First Amendment protections of the U.S. Constitution. A company is not responsible for the political speech of a union that represents its employees in bargaining. Shurat HaDin’s recycled threats are part of a crude intimidation strategy attempting to silence academic associations, cooperatives, small business owners and now unions from trying to hold Israel accountable for its human rights violations.

For more information, please see Palestine Legal’s FAQ on the Legality of BDS.