Opinion | A. Pawlowski: States shouldn't force Americans to forfeit freedom of speech to support Israel. - NBCNewsTHINK
, which a lower court found last year was constitutional because, it said, engaging in a boycott of Israeli goods and services is neither speech nor expressive conduct. We believe, however, that previous Supreme Court rulings about consumer boycotts firmly establish that the BDS movement's activities are entitled to First Amendment protection.
Our organizations, J Street and T'ruah, do not support or advocate for the BDS movement. But a true commitment to the First Amendment requires us to defend the principles of free speech even, and especially, when we find it objectionable or offensive. That's why our organizations, along with Georgetown University's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, filed anin support of the Arkansas Times. The local newspaper has never participated in any boycott of Israel, but it refused to give up its free speech rights by signing a contract affirming that it never would. By refusing to sign the document, the newspaper forfeited needed ad revenue from the University of Arkansas.
Lawmakers promote this kind of legislation in the name of supporting Israel and protecting Jews from discrimination. But in Arkansas, as we have seen in other states, the legislators who pushed through the bill never even bothered to consult with Arkansas' small Jewish community. Rabbi Barry Block, the rabbi of the largest synagogue in the state,that he opposes the law, which he said"has nothing to do with the Jewish people of Arkansas.
And that, many Jewish people already know, can be quite dangerous. History has taught us that when democratic protections come under attack, it is often Jews who suffer. During World War I, for instance, the postmaster general threatened to revoke The Jewish Daily Forward's second-class postage rates in response to the outlet's publication of articles opposing America's involvement in the conflict.
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