The Arab American Civic Council joined Students for Justice in Palestine at the California State University of Fullerton, on October 25, to raise awareness and take action against the unconstitutional “Israel Anti Boycott Act” (H.R. 1697/ S. 720).
SJP students displayed a mock Israeli apartheid wall in front of McCarthy Hall, as AACC volunteers collected signatures in opposition to the bill. We engaged in discussions with the student body, staff and faculty on how this legislation violates our constitutionally-protected First Amendment rights by penalizing people solely based on their political views. The propositions made in this bill are extremely problematic. The Israel Anti Boycott Act imposes civil and criminal penalties on individuals or companies that comply with calls from international bodies, such as the UN or EU, to boycott illegal Israeli settlements. Therefore, it is imperative that we not only recognize our constitutional right to boycott, but also emphasize that boycotting is a nonviolent tactic that has always been, and continues to be, critical in advancing social justice movements. Learn more about the bill here.
We urge all community members to take action against the “Israel Anti Boycott Act” (H.R. 1679/ S.720) by contacting their members of Congress and expressing their opposition to the proposed legislation. Engaging in boycotts in support of Palestinian human rights are a form of constitutionally protected speech and should not be singled out for punishment by Congress. Learn more about this introduced bill and do your part by contacting your representative in Congress at http://bit.ly/2zSU8j9.
