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<div id="reader-header" class="header" style="display: block;"> <font
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href="https://palestinelegal.org/2017-report">https://palestinelegal.org/2017-report</a></font><br>
<br>
February 2018<br>
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<h2>As Israel intensifies tactics to suppress dissent,
censorship in U.S. increases</h2>
<p><strong>Executive Summary</strong></p>
<p>Hurricane victims in Dickinson, Texas were <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/20/texas-town-makes-hurricane-harvey-aid-applicants-pledge-not-to-boycott-israel/?utm_term=.2a3aa6fab953">required</a>
to pledge not to boycott Israel as a condition of
receiving relief aid. A New York City bookstore hid a
children’s book, <em>P is for Palestine</em>, behind
the cash register after <a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/news/2017/11/29/nyc-book-store-receives-calls-to-censor-palestine-childrens-book">widespread
demands</a> for censorship. A Palestinian-American
professor at San Francisco State University was <a
target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/case-studies/2017/11/3/years-long-suppression-campaign-sfsu/#LawfareSuit">sued</a>
for researching and teaching about Palestine. A black
student leader at the University of Wisconsin was <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/us/politics/kenneth-marcus-civil-rights-israel-bds.html">condemned</a>
for speaking out against the connections between white
supremacy and Zionism by Trump’s nominee to head the
U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil
Rights.</p>
<p>As the movement for Palestinian rights continues to
grow, the <a target="_blank"
href="https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5063599,00.html">Israeli
state</a> and its <a target="_blank"
href="http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-uc-israel-palestinian-adv-snap-story.html">proxy
organizations</a> in the U.S. are investing heavily
in <a target="_blank"
href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/reveled-israel-s-top-secret-global-legal-operation-to-fight-bds-1.5460218">punitive
measures</a> to intimidate and chill the free speech
of those who wish to express criticism of Israeli
policies.</p>
<p>Palestine Legal responded to <strong>308 incidents
of suppression</strong> of U.S.-based Palestine
advocacy in 2017, a <a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/2016-report">19%
increase from 2016</a>. The incidents included
baseless lawsuits, administrative disciplinary
actions, violence, censorship, and false accusations
of terrorism and antisemitism. <strong>Eighty percent</strong>
targeted students and scholars at 73 campuses across
the country. Additionally, Palestine Legal responded
to 57 legal questions from activists who were
concerned their rights were threatened.</p>
<p>Over four years, from January 1, 2014 through
December 31, 2017, Palestine Legal has responded to a
total of <strong>958 incidents of suppression</strong>
targeting speech supportive of Palestinian rights, and
an additional 257 requests for legal assistance in
anticipation of such incidents. This data reflects
only what was directly reported to Palestine Legal,
and therefore is not an exhaustive account of the
suppression. </p>
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<p>Separately, elected officials introduced at least <strong>32
legislative measures </strong>in 2017<strong> </strong>targeting
Palestine advocacy, particularly support for boycott,
divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns. BDS seeks to
hold Israel and corporate actors accountable under
international law for violations of Palestinian rights.
The legislative measures include at least two bills in
Congress. Since 2014, at least <strong>102 bills have
been introduced</strong> in the U.S targeting speech
supportive of Palestinian rights. To date, <a
target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/righttoboycott/"><strong>24
states have enacted</strong></a> anti-boycott
measures.</p>
<p>The first such law to be challenged was <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.aclu.org/news/first-judge-blocks-kansas-law-aimed-boycotts-israel">blocked
by a federal judge</a> in Kansas in January 2018
because "the First Amendment protects the right to
participate in a boycott like the one punished by the
Kansas law."</p>
<p>The following illustrates the most notable trends in
suppression of Palestine advocacy in 2017.</p>
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<p><strong>Meritless Lawsuits and Legal Threats on the
Rise</strong></p>
<p>Palestine Legal responded to 36 lawsuits and legal
threats launched against activists in 2017, up from 13
in 2016. This reflects the intensification of legal
bullying to suppress support for Palestinian rights.
For example:</p>
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<p><strong>Legislation</strong></p>
<p>Lawmakers, prompted by Israel lobby groups,
introduced at least 32 legislative measures in 2017 to
condemn or restrict advocacy for Palestinian rights.
These include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Municipal and state legislation aimed at
countering boycotts for Palestinian rights through
the creation of political blacklists; prohibitions
on government contracts with entities that support
boycotts for Palestinian rights; and/or prohibitions
on state investments in companies that support
boycotts for Palestinian rights. States such as <a
target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/wisconsin">Wisconsin</a>,
<a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/texas">Texas</a>,
and <a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/northcarolina">North
Carolina</a> enacted unconstitutional laws in
2017. Overall, 24 states have enacted such measures.<br>
</li>
<li>A federal judge in January 2018 <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.aclu.org/news/first-judge-blocks-kansas-law-aimed-boycotts-israel">enjoined
Kansas</a> from enforcing its anti-boycott law
because it violates the Constitution. The decision
explains, “The Kansas Law’s legislative history
reveals that its goal is to undermine the message of
those participating in a boycott of Israel. This is
either viewpoint discrimination against the opinion
that Israel mistreats Palestinians or subject matter
discrimination on the topic of Israel. Both are
impermissible goals under the First Amendment.”<br>
</li>
<li>Legislation introduced in <a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/news/2017/1/30/virginia-lawmakers-considering-unconstitutional-bill-aimed-at-censoring-palestine-advocacy-1">Virginia</a>,
<a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/news/2017/3/2/south-carolina-lawmakers-considering-unconstitutional-bill-aimed-at-censoring-palestine-advocacy">South
Carolina</a>, and <a target="_blank"
href="http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0581&ga=110">Tennessee</a>
attempting to codify an overbroad and widely
discredited definition of antisemitism aimed at
stifling Palestine advocacy. All three measures were
defeated.<br>
</li>
<li>In Congress, the controversial <a target="_blank"
href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/720">Israel
Anti-Boycott Act</a> was introduced. If enacted,
the bill would impose severe financial penalties and
up to 20 years in prison for certain actions taken
in support of boycotts for Palestinian rights
“fostered or imposed” by an international
governmental organization like the E.U. or the U.N.
The bill failed to pass in 2017 and was <a
target="_blank"
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/07/19/u-s-lawmakers-seek-to-criminally-outlaw-support-for-boycott-campaign-against-israel/">highly
criticized</a> for its draconian measures. More
than <a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/news/2017/8/9/civil-rights-groups-to-congress-oppose-unconstitutional-israel-anti-boycott-act">100
groups</a>, along with the <a target="_blank"
href="https://www.aclu.org/letter/aclu-letter-senate-opposing-israel-anti-boycott-act">ACLU</a>,
called on legislators to reject this legislation. At
least one senator <a target="_blank"
href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-key-new-york-senator-withdraws-support-from-anti-bds-bill-1.5439384">withdrew</a>
support, and its sponsor <a target="_blank"
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/07/25/cardin-amend-israel-boycott-bill-bds/">has
indicated</a> he will amend it to alleviate First
Amendment concerns.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Rampant False Accusations of Antisemitism and
Terrorism Lead to Threats and Censorship</strong></p>
<p>142 reported incidents in 2017 involved accusations
of antisemitism based solely on speech critical of
Israeli policies. 123 reported incidents in 2017
involved unsubstantiated accusations of support for
terrorism, based solely on speech critical of Israeli
policies. For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>In March 2017, San Francisco Hillel <a
target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/case-studies/2017/11/3/years-long-suppression-campaign-sfsu/#HillelCharges">filed
charges of religious discrimination</a> against
organizers of a Know Your Rights fair at SFSU after
Hillel was not provided a table at the event. A
five-month investigation by campus officials
determined that the discrimination charge was
unfounded and that there was no evidence of
anti-Jewish animus. Instead, investigators faulted
organizers for “retaliation” and “viewpoint
discrimination” against Hillel. The event organizers
appealed the decision, which is pending.<br>
</li>
<li>After students at Tufts University voted in April
2017 to support the university’s divestment from
companies engaging in human rights abuses in
Palestine, they received <a target="_blank"
href="https://medium.com/@sjptufts/hate-mail-threats-and-intimidation-the-backlash-from-supporting-palestinian-human-rights-d62cbd1f7d1a">a
wave of hate mail</a>, blackmail threats, and
accusations of antisemitism. Jewish members of
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish
Voice for Peace (JVP) experienced unique targeting,
as they were repeatedly called “kapos” (a term for
Jews who were selected to serve as administrators in
Nazi concentration camps) and emailed graphic
Holocaust images.<br>
</li>
<li>Consul General of Israel in New York Dani Dayan <a
target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/news/2017/6/16/consul-general-israel-refers-to-ccny-students-questions-as-verbal-terrorism">accused</a>
SJP members at the City College of New York of
“verbal terrorism” after they asked critical
questions regarding Israeli human rights abuses
during the Q&A portion of a May 2017 event. The
event was sponsored by Students Supporting Israel
(SSI) and featured Dayan. The right-wing Zionist
Organization of America made baseless allegations
about SJP’s conduct at the event, including
unsubstantiated accusations of antisemitism. SJP
members faced racist harassment and physical
aggression by a member of SSI. The administration
launched a months-long investigation into the event,
and ultimately changed the university’s policies
related to inviting outside speakers.<br>
</li>
<li>The David Horowitz Freedom Center <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/10/03/david-horowitz-is-putting-up-posters-calling-brooklyn-college-students-terrorist-supporters/">plastered
at least 15 campuses</a> in 2017 with posters
naming individual students and professors believed
to support boycotts for Palestinian rights, calling
them “terrorist supporters.” The 2017 poster
campaigns were preceded by similar campaigns in 2015
and 2016, attempting to defame individual students
and professors as supporters of terrorism and
responsible for “Jew hatred” based solely on their
public support for Palestinian rights.<br>
</li>
<li>UC Irvine (UCI) <a target="_blank"
href="https://palestinelegal.org/news/2017/8/31/uci">punished</a>
SJP with two years of probation because they chanted
slogans critical of Israeli policies at the end of
the Q&A portion of a May 2017 event featuring
Israeli soldiers. The chanting occurred only after
one of the soldiers physically assaulted a student,
and it followed days of harassment by the soldiers
who had followed Palestinian students on and off
campus. The Brandeis Center, SSI, Hillel and others
falsely accused the students of chanting threatening
and antisemitic remarks, and <a target="_blank"
href="http://www.ocweekly.com/news/uci-students-for-justice-in-palestine-sanctioned-again-8389976">demanded</a>
that the students be criminally prosecuted and
punished under campus policies. In response to the
pressure, UCI investigated SJP for disruption and
found them responsible.<br>
</li>
<li>The homes of two leaders of U.S. organizations
working for justice in Palestine were <a
target="_blank"
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/charlotte-silver/us-activists-homes-targeted-pro-israel-intimidation-campaign">canvassed
with posters</a> featuring their pictures
alongside baseless accusations that they’re likely
to engage in terrorism solely because of their
advocacy for Palestinian rights. The posters
pictured JVP director Rebecca Vilkomerson and AMP
founder Hatem Bazian and warned in bold letters,
“Today terror abroad. Tomorrow terror at home!” The
posters were left on cars lining the blocks
surrounding both homes – one in Berkeley, CA, and
one in Brooklyn, NY.</li>
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<ul>
<li>In November 2017, The New School was subjected to
an intense campaign by Israel advocates demanding
that the university cancel a panel on combatting
antisemitism featuring speakers critical of Israeli
policies. Panelists included co-chair of the
National Women’s March and Palestinian-American
community organizer Linda Sarsour, JVP director
Rebecca Vilkomerson and other Jewish activists. More
than 21,000 people signed a petition calling on the
New School to censor the panel, a major donor <a
target="_blank"
href="http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/250101/following-controversial-panel-major-new-school-donor-threatens-to-cut-off-funding">threatened</a>
to cut-off funding if the panel proceeded and <em>New
York Daily News</em>, <em>New York Post</em>, Fox
News and other outlets featured articles falsely
accusing panelists of antisemitism. The sold-out
panel <a target="_blank"
href="https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/attacks-antisemitism-panel-new-school-proof-need-fresh-discourse/">continued
as planned</a>.<br>
</li>
<li>In October 2017, the American Jewish Historical
Society <a target="_blank"
href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/arts/jewish-center-faces-backlash-after-canceling-play-criticized-as-anti-israel.html">cancelled
two events</a> in response to a campaign arguing
that the organization should not affiliate with
artists and groups that support Palestinian rights.
The first event was <a target="_blank"
href="https://www.jvpnyc.org/events/2017/10/26/the-balfour-declaration-support-for-a-jewish-homeland-or-jewish-state-is-there-a-difference">a
discussion on the Balfour Declaration</a> hosted
by JVP. The second event was a <a target="_blank"
href="https://forward.com/opinion/384837/anti-zionist-creator-canceled-ajhs-play-rubble-rubble-speaks-out/">reading
of a new play by playwright Dan Fishback</a>,
exploring how some Jewish families are divided over
the politics of Palestine-Israel. The cancellations
drew sharp criticism from those in the arts, calling
it “right-wing censorship.”</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Employees Fired, Academic Positions
Eliminated</strong></p>
<p>Palestine Legal documented numerous instances of
people who were fired, suspended, investigated on the
job, or denied job opportunities due to their
perceived support for Palestinian rights. Those that
were public and reported in the media include:</p>
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<li>A Quaker high school in Philadelphia <a
target="_blank"
href="http://www.philly.com/philly/education/Friends-Central-teachers-suspended-for-inviting-Palestinian-professor-to-speak-are-not-welcome-back-nex-year.html">fired
two teachers</a> after they invited
Palestinian-American Sa’ed Atshan, a peace and
conflict studies professor at Swarthmore College, to
speak about Israelis and Palestinians who support
human rights, nonviolence and equality. Atshan,
himself a Quaker, was invited back to the school
after his talk was cancelled, but <a
target="_blank"
href="http://mondoweiss.net/2017/08/palestinian-professor-cancelled/">said</a>
he could not in good conscience speak there unless
the fired teachers were reinstated. The teachers <a
target="_blank"
href="http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/03/06/suspended-teachers-file-discrimination-complaint-against-friends-central-school/">filed</a>
discrimination complaints with the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fresno State University in California <a
target="_blank"
href="http://cognitiveliberty.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Samiian-resignation-letter.pdf">abruptly
cancelled a search</a> in April 2017 for a chair
in Middle East Studies (MES) named after the late
Palestinian-American intellectual Edward Said after
the search committee had narrowed the candidates
down to four <a target="_blank"
href="http://mondoweiss.net/2017/07/gatekeepers-california-university/">finalists</a>
of Palestinian or Arab descent. The Director of the
MES program resigned in protest, explaining that the
search was cancelled because of pressure from
pro-Israel faculty members.<br>
</li>
<li>Professor N. Bruce Duthu, a Native American
studies scholar at Dartmouth College, was <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/05/23/popular-native-american-studies-scholar-declines-deanship-dartmouth-amid-concerns">forced
to resign from his appointment as dean of the
faculty</a> for arts and sciences at Dartmouth
College after critics attacked him for signing the
Native American and Indigenous Studies Association's
2013 <a target="_blank"
href="http://www.naisa.org/declaration-of-support-for-the-boycott-of-israeli-academic-institutions.html">statement</a> in
support of a boycott of Israeli academic
institutions. Duthu was not a vocal supporter of the
boycott resolution but was treasurer of the
association at the time it adopted the statement.
His critics included pro-Israel faculty, right-wing
media outlets, and Senator Ted Cruz who tweeted,
“Our universities are more & more becoming
hotbeds for Leftist intolerance and anti-Israel
hatred.”</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Attempts to Censor Support for Boycotts for
Palestinian Rights</strong></p>
<p>Palestine Legal responded to 141 cases in which
advocates for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS)
for Palestinian rights faced censorship, legal threats
and other suppression. For example:</p>
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>Cal State Long Beach President <a target="_blank"
href="http://web.csulb.edu/newsroom/president-jane-close-conoley-letter-to-asi-students-on-boycotting-divestments--and-sanctions/">wrote</a>
student senators in April 2017 urging them to stop a
student divestment initiative, claiming erroneously
that their campaign was to blame for the rise in
white supremacist vandalism on campus. Meanwhile,
the administration took no action in response to
graffiti threatening to “kill all Muslims on
Friday.”</li>
</ul>
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<p>The letter singled out the student government leader,
who is black, for condemning white supremacy. Brandeis
Center also called on the student government to adopt
a widely-discredited re-definition of antisemitism
that classifies virtually all Palestine advocacy as
inherently antisemitic. The student government <a
target="_blank"
href="http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/university/uw-madison-student-council-adopts-anti-semitism-resolution-code-of/article_1dca4d79-f9b7-5d8f-bdd8-def837fc123e.html">adopted
this definition</a> in September. </p>
<p><strong>Violence and Threats of Violence</strong></p>
<p>Palestine Legal responded to 23 incidents of violence
and threats of violence against activists for
Palestinian rights. Many of the threatened individuals
asked to remain anonymous. Some examples include:</p>
<ul>
<li>A Palestinian-American teacher was <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-ifnotnow-urges-aipac-to-denounce-attacks-against-protesters-1.5455512">brutally
beaten</a> outside the AIPAC conference in
Washington, DC in March 2017 by members of the <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/jewish-defense-league">Jewish
Defense League</a> (JDL), a violent hate group the
Southern Poverty Law Center says “preaches a violent
form of anti-Arab, Jewish nationalism,” and which
has been labeled by the FBI as a rightwing terrorist
group. JDL members charged at protesters with
flagpoles, yelling “kapos” at Jewish protesters and
causing multiple injuries. One JDL member was <a
target="_blank"
href="https://forward.com/fast-forward/390829/jewish-defense-league-member-indicted-for-assault-outside-aipac-convention/">indicted
for assault with a hate crime enhancement</a> in
December.<br>
</li>
<li>Student activists at New York University <a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.nyunews.com/2017/05/01/nyu-sjp-demands-further-action-from-nyu-after-death-threats/">received
a series of death threats</a> and violent warnings
cautioning them not to engage in further advocacy in
support of Palestinian rights. For example, one
message read, “You will all be shhot [sic] at your
next protest SJP members. It will be a family
affair…” and “WE WILL PAINT THE STREET WITH
PALESTINIAN/MUSLIM/BLACK LIVES MATTER/STUDENTS FOR
JUSTICE IN PALESTINE/BLOOD…”<br>
</li>
<li>An anonymous website posted pictures of student
activists with sniper targets on their faces, along
with their home addresses, email addresses and
telephone numbers.<br>
</li>
<li>A student was shoved and threatened in a campus
elevator by another student who disagreed with her
support for Palestinian rights.</li>
</ul>
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<li>The author of children’s book <em>P is for
Palestine</em>, Golbarg Bashi, received death
threats in advance of her November book signing in
New York City. Police were alerted. Uniformed JDL
members <a target="_blank"
href="https://forward.com/opinion/390530/we-had-a-p-is-for-palestine-party-for-kids-and-the-jdl-showed-up/">threatened
children</a> attending a Hanukkah storytime
reading the following month.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Incidents by State</strong></p>
<p>Palestine Legal responded <strong>to 958 incidents</strong>
of suppression and <strong>102 legislative measures</strong>
in <strong>38 different states</strong> (including
the District of Columbia) from January 1, 2014 –
December 31, 2017. The five states with the highest
number of reported incidents, including legislative
measures, are:</p>
<ul>
<li>California: 291</li>
<li>New York: 268</li>
<li>Illinois: 81</li>
<li>Massachusetts: 45</li>
<li>District of Columbia: 28</li>
</ul>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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