Michelle Singletary’s column, “Does boycott over politics make sense” explores the reasons in support of and opposed to boycotting Donald Trump’s businesses. Her column ends with “I’m just glad that I live in a country where you have the freedom to support or protest a cause so that your voice can be heard.” Unfortunately, that freedom is over for some and may soon end for many more.
Last winter a young Jewish woman and I spoke to a religious group advocating what is known as boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). This movement, which is supported by Palestinian civil society is designed to pressure Israel to end its multigenerational occupation of Palestine, afford equal rights to all Israeli citizens and adhere to UN resolution 194 to compensate those Palestinians whose homes and land were forcibly taken from them in 1947 and 1948.
The strategy applies only to those companies, Israeli and international, that directly profit from the occupation. The movement most certainly rejects boycotting businesses because they are Jewish owned; BDS is temporary, ending when the above conditions are met.
In the past year, 12 or more states have enacted legislation or executive orders that punish people like me who support such activities aimed at Israel. For example, New York, where I received my first engineering degree, and my first license to practice engineering, will no longer allow me to work on projects for New York state. In theory, anyone who publicly supports BDS, including the press, could be denied their First or Second Amendment rights. This denial of rights could easily extend to public comments on other forms of boycott, including sanctions on other countries or Donald Trump’s businesses.
Whether or not you support BDS, Americans who believe in our cherished freedoms or whom, like me, fought for such freedoms should act to preserve them by denouncing anti-BDS legislation.
Hank G. Landau Ph.D.
Woodway
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