NJ
elected officials of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the NJ Senate
and Assembly have introduced bills (NJ S4001/ NJ A5755 ) that would virtually
outlaw and criminalize criticism of the policies of Israel (and US policies
coordinating with Israel) at NJ college campuses and in NJ public schools.
Under
the headline RESOURCES below there are many links with ways you can support the
effort to protect our right to dissent in NJ.
The
pretext for this extremely repressive proposed law is the false premise that
criticism of Israel is “anti-Semitic” – and the proposed law proscribes
sanctions and even potential criminal penalties for such activity. I will
leave the debunking of that false narrative to others more qualified (see the
resources below)– for my part I will focus on:
THE DETRIMENTAL
AFFECT THE PROPOSED LAW WOULD HAVE ON ORGANIZING AGAINST WAR, IMPERIALISM AND
IN FAVOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN NJ
This proposed law is a clear broad side attack on NJ students, teachers, faculty and staff's first amendment rights to free speech. Students have a right to express their opinions, to learn about and support grass roots democracy and actions to introduce legislation. It sends the wrong message to the youngest generation who - if this law passes - will find these rights infringed upon as they try to find their political voices.
To be clear, by proposing to outlaw criticism of Israel, NJ legislators would also be outlawing criticism of the US policy of SUPPORT for Israel. The US is a WAR PARTNER of Israel in every corner of the globe. (e.g. Central America ) The US also has ties to Israel domestically in the wall construction on the US southern border and in training US police departments. All of these activities link US policy to Israel and this proposed piece of repressive legislation could also be used to disrupt and forbid advocacy opposing those Israel related policies.
This
proposed law could create a pretext to undermine antiwar organizing on NJ
college campuses and in NJ public schools. US relations with and support
for Israel underpins US Middle East policy.
An effective antiwar movement obviously must challenge the entire war
operation especially regarding US war operations in the Middle East. This
law if enacted could make administrators on colleges and in public schools feel
compelled to challenge students, faculty and staff that attempt to raise
opposition to US war in the MIddle East and elsewhere. It will also provide an umbrella for pro-war
forces to complain to administrators about anti-war activities using the
proposed law as the basis.
A
movement that aims to effectively challenge US foreign policy MUST engage the
students and faculty at the high school and college levels. The National
Security State takes pains to undermine
the success of such an organizing effort.
In 2018, Rutgers University, through its Intelligence Community Center
for Academic Excellence, partnered with police, Homeland Security, other US
government agencies and academics to sponsor a forum entitled “Fighting HateWhile Preserving Freedom” that outlined the partnership between the National
Security State and academia toward those goals. The event was met with
protests which I helped coordinate on behalf of #NJANTIWARAGENDA with endorsement of Anakbayan Rutgers and
expert coordination by two lead campus organizers. This proposed law is the follow up step to
implement the repressive ideas that were promoted at the Rutgers event.
If
this law is passed in NJ – administrations at colleges and at public
schools will “err on the side of caution.” If there is advocacy in the
schools that touches even tangentially to any issue regarding Israel,
administrations – not looking for trouble or that are already a captive asset
of government agency – will forbid the activity. Students who could potentially play a pivotal
role in advancing efforts to effectively advocate against war will end up
having their yearning to participate crushed.
The
struggle against imperialism and war has to center on the issue of Middle East
peace. Central to lasting Middle East peace is an end to Israel
occupation of Palestine and the recognition of the humanity of
Palestinians. So there can be NO effective movement against war without
advocacy for the cause of Palestine. A
law preventing mention of these topics creates a major obstacle to the struggle
against US war.
Any
coalition seeking to unify against war and imperialism and to advocate for
Palestinian rights needs to converge the efforts of those in the US
committed to those goals with people of all of the nations that are either
under attack and oppressed by a partnership between the US, Israel and other
partners including UK, KSA, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, many other
nations and entities. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims play a critical
role in every coalition on college campuses and in our communities not only on
international issues but around domestic issues that impact everybody’s day to
day lives. This proposed law aims to fracture these coalitions thus undermining
our effectiveness and any potential success - around all of our fronts of
struggle. I would take it a step further to venture that this law if
passed and implemented will virtually shut down any and all effective dissent
in NJ.
Therefore
the call goes out to all those that oppose US war, imperialism and stand in
favor of human rights for Palestinians – we have no choice but to destroy this
initiative of the US National Security State (NJ S4001/ NJ A5755 ) The
proposed law would provide a mechanism to repress our opposition. In the
process, it could destroy the lives of
students and teachers through false smear and criminalization of our legitimate
and necessary organizing.
In
addition to lobbying in every way possible the NJ Assembly, Senators and the Governor of NJ – which
could include when they show up in our communities - to defeat this repressive
proposed law, let us proceed to do precisely the kind of organizing this
proposed law aims to disrupt and prevent. Let us put together the best
organized college and high school effort this state and even this nation has
ever seen – combining advocacy against war and imperialism, for human rights
and liberation of Palestinians with the total defeat of this repressive
proposal. We must not only defeat this repression bill, but defeat it so
thoroughly that NJ legislators never try to dredge it back up from the cesspool
into which it must be rendered. And as we win the battle against this
repressive effort, we will use the momentum to prevent US warfare and further
the cause of justice and liberation for Palestinians.
If you are interested in
connecting with others to organize at an event at or near college campuses or
public schools please send a text to 908-881-5275. Follow the links below for many ways to get
further involved in this struggle to save our right to dissent in the state of
NJ and also to render a solid defeat to
this repressive initiative of National Security State and Israeli Defense
Force.
SAY
NO to National Security State and Israeli Defense Force ideological hegemony on NJ campuses and in NJ public schools! And let’s
stop the state to state spread of these
dictatorial laws. (Similar laws have
passed in Florida and South Carolina.)
RESOURCES
This
page from CAIR – NJ allows you to write a letter every 24 hours to your NJ
Senator and Assembly members::
This
is a letter drafted by the coalition of groups with legal input from Palestine
Legal followed by their announcement of this effort:
Here
is a Facebook group dedicated to stopping this repressive proposed law:
These
are some of the articles that have been published on this situation:
https://www.app.com/story/opinion/columnists/2019/07/12/n-j-anti-semitism-bill-runs-counter-first-amendment/1703866001/?fbclid=IwAR25VwkJ_HkX6GlWwE1KzOE1eMcTdRPRsIQ-wYjL5UnelEwafxza87bC9PA
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2019/07/we-dont-need-authoritarianism-to-fight-anti-semitism-editorial.html?fbclid=IwAR3VzFvenIk8ew_cqIJ774kOTHhPk5FwTeaZKq8IhaAgT-jFOmhvpHYa36c
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2019/07/nj-bill-makes-it-a-crime-to-support-palestinian-rights-in-our-public-schools-and-colleges-eroding-americans-constitutional-rights-group-says.html?fbclid=IwAR2I9PdVAwokCGt2CIjZegDtl4BoHxGX3S9yY7qUZBwFr2IseEDCjtjt6YU
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2019/07/we-dont-need-authoritarianism-to-fight-anti-semitism-editorial.html?fbclid=IwAR3VzFvenIk8ew_cqIJ774kOTHhPk5FwTeaZKq8IhaAgT-jFOmhvpHYa36c
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2019/07/nj-bill-makes-it-a-crime-to-support-palestinian-rights-in-our-public-schools-and-colleges-eroding-americans-constitutional-rights-group-says.html?fbclid=IwAR2I9PdVAwokCGt2CIjZegDtl4BoHxGX3S9yY7qUZBwFr2IseEDCjtjt6YU
Here
is a copy of the Senate version of the proposed law:
Meanwhile
in a related development Rep. Ilhan Omar and others have introduced a bill to
protect our right to support BDS nationally:
Here
is a petition in support of the Omar initiative.