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enhanced_deficit
10-24-2018, 04:51 AM
Israel Anti-Boycott Act violates free speech rights
Oct 13, 2018

Why is Rep. Kennedy attacking our free speech rights?

This was the question asked by 17 of us protesting recently at Kennedy’s Newton office. Kennedy is co-sponsoring the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, HR 1697, which criminalizes participation in the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement (BDS), a nonviolent movement using economic measures to pressure Israel to change its policies towards the Palestinians.
The ACLU describes this act as “an unconstitutional infringement of core political speech rights.” Two federal court decisions issued earlier this year blocked enforcement of similar state anti-BDS laws because Americans have a constitutional right to engage in political boycotts, including those aimed at foreign countries such as Israel.
The issue is not the merits of BDS, but preservation of our constitutional rights. As Sen. Warren states, “I think the boycott is wrong, but I think outlawing protected free speech activity violates our basic constitution.” Warren understands the difference between disapproving of BDS and criminalizing it, and so should Kennedy.

When some constituents objected to Kennedy’s co-sponsoring the Act, he told them: “Nothing about this bill will force us to buy or not buy anything against our will.” This is wrong, as the following example demonstrates.
Suppose the officers of a church deliberate over boycotting companies that profit from the Israeli occupation. In their deliberations, they review a 2016 U.N. report identifying activities in the occupied territory that raise human rights concerns, such as supplying surveillance equipment for Israeli settlements and checkpoints. After deliberating, the officers decide not to buy Hewlett-Packard printers for church offices, knowing that HP is a supplier of such equipment.
If the Israel Anti-Boycott Act passes, the church could be fined and its officers jailed for five years. If that isn’t coercion, what is?

Passage of the act is a priority of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and would receive high praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But we do not elect our representatives to promote the interests of a foreign country at the expense of our own constitution. This act must be voted down.

http://newton.wickedlocal.com/news/20181013/letter-israel-anti-boycott-act-violates-free-speech-rights




How The Icke Meme Tries To Discredit 'MAGA' (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?527657-How-The-Icke-Meme-Tries-To-Discredit-MAGA&)

https://admin62b4b.davidicke.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Untitled-102-2.jpg (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?524826-quot-No-Preconditions-quot-Trump-Will-Meet-Iran-s-Rouhani-quot-Anytime-They-Want-quot&p=6696195&viewfull=1#post6696195)

May 14, 2018
Mega-donor Adelson, with access and influence, scores two pro- Israel victories (https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article211098039.html)
These are heady days for casino billionaire and megadonor Sheldon Adelson.
A passionate and hawkish advocate for Israel with close ties to its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Adelson was in Jerusalem today for a celebration of the U.S. embassy’s relocation to that city, a longstanding priority for the mogul. Similarly, Adelson had pushed hard for President Donald Trump to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, which happened last week.
And the day after that announcement, Adelson quietly slipped into the White House for a private meeting with Trump and three top administration officials: Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and an Adelson favorite, National Security Adviser John Bolton, according to two conservative sources familiar with the previously unreported private event.

Trump's sanctions against Iran are a clear breach of international law
theguardian
Aug 8, 2018

Adelsons Add $25 Million to Their Midterm Campaign Spending
October 20, 2018
The couple’s latest contribution was to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super political action committee affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Federal Election Commission filings show.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...paign-spending (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-20/adelsons-add-25-million-to-their-midterm-campaign-spending)


If this is non-fakenews, Senate may have no choice but to fully embrace Iran sanctions, Jarvanka inspired Syria bombings etc even if free speech activist Alex Jones gets upset/starts using obscene words for MAGA.


Related


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcD2iexGqZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcD2iexGqZQ


The Israel Lobby
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the-israel-lobby
(https://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the-israel-lobby)
The dark roots of AIPAC, ‘America’s Pro-Israel Lobby’ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2018/03/06/the-dark-roots-of-aipac-americas-pro-israel-lobby/)
The group was formed to spin positive PR after Israeli atrocities.

enhanced_deficit
10-24-2018, 08:58 PM
US: Anti-BDS Bill Giving Trump Power to Punish Movement Supporters Gains Traction (https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/US-Anti-BDS-Bill-Giving-Trump-Power-to-Punish-Movement-Supporters-Gains-Traction-20180629-0006.html)
As the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement continues to claim victories (http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/BDS-Victory-Friendly-Match-Between-Argentina-Israel-Cancelled-20180605-0021.html), attacks against its supporters continue to grow and gain momentum. The latest attack comes from the United States, where a bipartisan vote on the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a measure giving president Donald Trump the power to decide how to punish U.S. based companies that promote boycotts of Israel.

The Israel Anti-Boycott Act is practically ready for a house vote after being approved by the committee Thursday and would allow for the punishment of businesses engaged in BDS with criminal penalties of a maximum US$1 million fine and 20 years in prison.

Brian Hauss, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), criticized the bill arguing it “seeks to dictate the political activities Americans can and can’t engage in.”
A similar bill was introduced last year, but the proposal drew sharp criticism from rights organizations who said it was unconstitutional and threatens the First Amendment, which protects the right to boycott as a form of free speech.



The #GagBill (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GagBill?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) is moving in Congress and would give Trump the power to punish those who comply with a call from the U.N. to boycott illegal Israeli settlements. Call your Members of Congress: (202) 224-3121 and tell them to oppose H.R. 1697 / S. 720 https://t.co/T9GhGJzlC0

— JewishVoiceForPeace (@jvplive) June 29, 2018 (https://twitter.com/jvplive/status/1012672072571670528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

AZJoe
12-26-2018, 08:55 PM
A newspaper in Little Rock (https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/resistance-us-laws-censoring-criticism-israel-goes-mainstream) filed a federal lawsuit (https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2018/12/11/arkansas-times-challenges-law-that-requires-state-contractors-to-pledge-not-to-boycott-israel-in-federal-court) last week challenging a 2017 Arkansas state law (https://palestinelegal.org/arkansas) that requires contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel. The law “also requires Arkansas to create a blacklist of companies that boycott Israel, and require public entities to divest from blacklisted companies,” according to civil rights group Palestine Legal. ... ...