What do the NRA and AIPAC have in common?

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They are both influential lobbies that fear the power of the people!

AIPAC is in the middle of its annual conference. Tomorrow, they will descend on Capitol Hill to push their anti-Palestinian rights agenda – part of which is criminalizing our right to boycott.

You remember this from last year: the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. This is the piece of legislation that aims to silence supporters of freedom, justice, and equality and critics of Israeli apartheid. It could send you to jail for 20 years for supporting – or even requesting information on – a boycott of Israel or illegal settlement goods called for by an international organization like the UN. Here are four examples of how the bill could affect you.

Last year, you pushed back hard, asserting your right to boycott, and Congress heard you. The bill stalled because of your action. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) even dropped her sponsorship of the bill. But AIPAC hasn’t given up.

Last week, in the lead-up to their conference, AIPAC asked 3,000 of their supporters to contact their Members of Congress to push this legislation through.

So before they get to the Hill tomorrow, let’s give them 6,000 supporters of freedom, justice, and equality telling Congress that they cannot take away our First Amendment right to boycott. Join the Stop AIPAC: National Call-In Day that is happening right now.

CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NOW at (202) 224-3121 to say that you oppose the Israel Anti-Boycott Act!

“I oppose the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (HR 1697/S 720) because we have the right to boycott until freedom is achieved for Palestinians in occupied territory, justice is guaranteed for Palestinian refugees who have a right of  return, and equality is achieved for Palestinian citizens of Israel. The Supreme Court, and most recently, a Federal District Court, have upheld our right to boycott. The Israel Anti-Boycott Act is both unjust and unconstitutional.”

In the latest news on the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, on Saturday, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), the lead sponsor of this bill, announced minor amendments in an effort to quickly push the bill through Congress – with AIPAC’s help, of course.

That Sen. Cardin was forced to amend the still-unconstitutional bill shows that our advocacy efforts are working and your voice is being heard. Now is the time to let your Members of Congress know that we will not stand for any attempt to silence us and take away our right to boycott, and that this bill, in any form, should not be passed. Call Congress now.

Let me tell you how I know that we will win: This past week, thousands of students from high schools across the country walked out of class to demand more gun control. This youth-led movement has sparked action in every corner of the country and coalesced into powerful calls for an #NRABoycott, already prompting some major retailers to pull assault weapons from their shelves or increase the minimum age to buy such weapons.

In Trump’s America, the power of the people to engage in boycotts to effect change is stronger than ever. And for those of us who want to stop the weapons from flowing, from here to Israel, boycott is a tried-and-true way to translate our people power into safety and justice for all.

We will continue to boycott until freedom is achieved for Palestinians in occupied territory, justice is achieved for Palestinian refugees who have the right of return, and equality under the law is achieved for Palestinian citizens of Israel. This is a cause we should all be able to get behind, and it’s a First Amendment right that AIPAC and Congress cannot take away.

Once you call, keep the momentum going:

  1. EMAIL: Using our tool, it takes only seconds to have your voice heard. If you’ve already emailed, you can take action again.
  2. SHARE: Let people know about the national call-in day, and invite people to participate!

Together, I believe that we will win.

Onwards,

LEAH MUSKIN-PIERRET

Government Affairs Associate

P.S. Looking to understand exactly how the Israel Anti-Boycott Act violates our right to boycott? Click here!