We Stand with Bahia Amawi
IfNotNow Austin wholeheartedly stands with Bahia Amawi and condemns HB 89, “Prohibition of Contracts with Companies Boycotting Israel.” As a Jewish movement that condemns the occupation and advocates for freedom and dignity of all Israelis and Palestinians, we cannot be silent as the American government equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
HB 89 is one of a growing number of state laws around the country that criminalize actions and speech related to boycotting Israel. Although they claim to protect our communities form antisemitism, these laws serve only to unconstitutionally restrict speech. Criticism of Israeli policy is not criticism of the Jewish people; boycotting Israeli goods is not analogous to boycotting ‘Jewish’ goods. Furthermore, the right to criticize or boycott foreign states is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment.
Beyond the issue of legality, our Jewish tradition values engaging in an open debate, asking questions, and fighting oppression. When we criminalize free speech or the act of boycotting, we are both infringing on basic human rights and running counter to our longstanding Jewish traditions.
In Texas, we have already seen measurable negative impacts from the anti-BDS law. In September 2017, following the unprecedented destruction of Hurricane Harvey, citizens of the devastated town of Dickinson were required to affirm that they would not boycott Israel in order to receive state aid to rebuild. Luckily, public outcry was able to force the Dickinson government to drop that provision from the agreement. Unfortunately, this same immoral and unconstitutional law has now resulted in the firing of Bahia Amawi, a speech pathologist in the Pflugerville Independent School District (ISD).
Because Amawi, a Palestinian American, refused to sign a waiver that stated she would not, and has not, engaged in a boycott of Israel, she has lost her job. Pflugerville ISD based their decision on Amawi’s private, political beliefs, and now Arabic-speaking children in the district no longer have access to a speech pathologist who speaks their language. We applaud the legal efforts lead by CAIR to restore justice to Amawi and protect others’ right to boycott, as well as the ACLU for bringing a similar suit on behalf of four other individuals who have been affected by this law.
As Jews, we value the right to free speech and an open debate. We also remember the significant persecution members of the American Jewish community faced under McCarthyism, the Red Scare, and the Hollywood Blacklist. It is particularly relevant to recall that 90% of teachers that were blacklisted from public schools due to “subversive” activities were Jewish. Because we have been targeted by the criminalization of political views in the past, we have all the more responsibility to ensure that supporting the human rights of Palestinians, and the right to boycott Israel, are protected.
The Jewish community will never be in complete agreement about politics. We should, however, be in total agreement that the way forward is not to stifle free speech when it makes powerful interests uncomfortable. IfNotNow Austin continues to stand for freedom and dignity for all, whether in Central Texas or Palestine.
