In June, New Jersey legislators introduced a bill that would direct public schools and universities to use a widely contested redefinition of antisemitism in assessing alleged violations of the state’s anti-discrimination law. Director Dima Khalidi wrote a guest op-ed for the New Jersey Star Ledger, the state’s largest newspaper.
Read MoreYou may not be aware, but the lawsuit against the University of Massachusetts Amherst over its May event “Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights,” is still in play – sort of. While the court allowed the event to take place, the anonymous plaintiffs did not drop the lawsuit, and the question of whether UMass Amherst violated Massachusetts discrimination laws and breached its contract with the anonymous pro-Israeli students is still before the court. But that lawsuit is now in limbo.
Read MoreStaff attorney Zoha Khalili joined “Voices of the Middle East and North Africa” on KPFA to discuss the new right to boycott resolution in the House, as well as the anti-boycott resolution that will be up for a vote next week.
Read MoreAfter Rep. Omar introduces a resolution affirming right to boycott, the House advances a measure against boycotts for Palestinian rights. Take action and contact your representative now!
Read MoreA coalition of 13 civil rights and human rights groups just warned New Jersey legislators that a proposed bill to define criticism of Israel as antisemitic will lead to First Amendment violations. Palestine Legal sent a letter to state lawmakers on Monday joined by 12 organizations, including the Center for Constitutional Rights, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Jewish Voice for Peace.
Read MoreHouse Resolution 246 condemning the boycott movement for Palestinian rights could be moving forward in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. While some Democratic cosponsors might believe that passing this non-binding resolution will lessen pressure to consider more binding measures (such as the House version of the anti-boycott bill passed by the Senate in February, Republican efforts to slip anti-boycott language into broad and often unrelated pieces of legislation underscore that the resolution will only open the door for more attacks against advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Read MoreProminent hip hop artist Talib Kweli was recently disinvited from a German music festival over his refusal to denounce the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights. Festival organizers disinvited Kweli after he refused to respond to their request that he make a statement about his position on BDS. The festival’s demand was prompted by a non-binding resolution passed by the German parliament last month defining the BDS movement as antisemitic and calling for the denial of public funding and forums for projects that support BDS or “question Israel’s right to exist.”
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