Dear Supporter of Human Rights and Free Speech:

We need your help to stop several bills going through the Oregon Legislature. They need to be condemned and defeated. They are bills: SCR25, SM1, SJM9. This legislation attacks UN efforts to oppose illegal settlements on Palestinian land, and attempts to put an end to an increasingly effective campaign in support of human rights and international law in Palestine-Israel.  These misguided and misleading bills must be defeated.

Bill SCR25 - condemns the non-violent movement of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS). BDS is a movement answering the call of Palestinian civil society against Israel's ongoing violations of human rights. The movement works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law. If passed, this bill will have a chilling effect on criticism of Israel's human rights abuses, and could serve as a basis for other, more extreme bills such as have been introduced in a number of other states. For details about SCR25 see:

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SCR25

For more information about anti-BDS legislation across the country and fact sheets see:

http://palestinelegal.org/resources/

 

Bills SM1 and SJM9 oppose UN Security Council Resolution 2334 which passed unanimously in the Security Council with only one abstention from the Obama administration. The UN resolution properly condemned Israel's ongoing and rapidly expanding settlement activity on Palestinian lands in support of international law and in support of longstanding U.S. policy that is opposed to Israeli settlements. You can read more at:

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SM0001

and 

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SJM9

 

The above bills are in the Senate Committee On Rules. We need to call and write the Senators of the Rules Committee and our own Senators to make sure they know that opposition to these bills is widespread and growing. See the contact information below or use the link above.

 

Talking points for SCR25, the anti-Boycott bill:

·       Boycotts are a protected form of free speech.  Bills like this WILL be struck down in the Supreme Court, but only after states that pass anti-BDS bill have wasted taxpayer money defending the bills in court.

·       This is a waste of time for the legislators, who should focus their valuable time and energy addressing issues of REAL concern to Oregonians.

·       Boycott is a highly revered, time honored and non-violent part of our national heritage.  Montgomery bus boycott.  Boycott of South African apartheid.  Grape boycott to support the farmworkers.  Boycotts of non-union shops to support workers’ right to organize. Something we take almost for granted - a way to effect change when governments and corporations refuse to act.

·       In this increasingly repressive political climate under the Trump Administration, this bill would set a dangerous precedent, as it constitutes a first step towards undermining and preventing principled non-violent activism of concerned Oregon citizens.

·       The State of Oregon recognized the value of BDS activism when it sanctioned companies from doing business with Sudan because of human rights violations in Darfur.

·       The City of Portland recognized the value of BDS activism when it divested from the companies in the Fossil Fuel 200 and Walmart.

·       Legislation against boycotts and against divestments threatens religious freedom.  Many religious groups take the ethics about the ways in which money is spent and invested very seriously and have clear religious and ethical guidelines regarding acceptable and unacceptable ways to use money. MANY mainline Christian denominations have, after much prayer and study, voted / called for some form of boycott, divestment or sanctions.  Does the senator/representative really want to sign a bill that demonize these mainline denominations for taking these moral stands?  (see below for a list)

·       The policies of any country should be held to account for violations of human rights and international law. Israel should not be given an exception to protect it from accountability.

·       There is significant and increasing Jewish support for the Palestinian call for BDS. Jewish Voice for Peace is one of the fastest growing Jewish organizations in the country. Israel's 50-year military occupation does not represent their values, and they too are calling for boycotts, divestment, and governmental sanctions.  See the recent statement, signed by over seventy-five members of Portland’s Jewish community, in support of this kind of effort in the Portland City Council:  http://jvpdx.occupationfreepdx.org/jcs/

·       These bills are replete with demonstrably false and highly debatable information, thus making those who sign it guilty of perpetrating the very sorts of "alternative facts" which are increasingly undermining public respect for government.

·       The proposed legislation is a blatant attempt to pass extreme and un-democratic legislation on behalf of right-wing Israeli and American Jews and American right-wing Christians. Giving legitimacy to these positions would be a frontal assault on freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

 

Talking Points for SM1 and SJM9:

·       These bills are an assault on International Humanitarian law such as the Fourth Geneva Conventions which prohibit the taking and colonizing other people's land.

·       Israeli settlements are a major obstacle to peace, an assault on human rights, and are destructive to any peaceful resolution to the conflict. They are in violation of humanitarian international law and in opposition to US policy.  (US policy has been consistent on this and in accord with international law since the 1967 war.)

·       Israel has greatly expanded construction of illegal settlements on Palestinian land. Just this week, the Israeli government announced yet another settlement to compensate settlers for “losing” land they literally stole from a Palestinian. See: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/30/israel-approves-west-bank-settlements-trump-administration

·       Israel has greatly expanded its destruction of Palestinian homes in the West Bank and even in Israel itself.

·       Ban Ki-moon calls Israeli settlement expansion an 'affront' to the world. See

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/26/ban-ki-moon-calls-israeli-settlement-expansion-affront-to-world

·       Human Rights Watch calls on businesses to cease Israeli settlement-related activities. See https://www.thenation.com/article/human-rights-watch-israel-settlements-bds/

 

 

ACTION: Contact the members of the Senate Committee on Rules:

 

Rules Committee members:

Chair:  Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick (D) District 18 - Portland

            503-986-1700                      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Vice-Chair: Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R) District 30 - John Day

            503-986-1950                      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Member: Senator Lee Beyer (D) District 6 - Springfield

            503-986-1706                      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Member: Senator Brian Boquist (R) District 12 - Dallas, Oregon

            503-986-1712                      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Member: Senator Arnie Roblan (D) District 5 - Coos Bay

            503-986-1705                      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

ACTION: Find your own State of Oregon representatives here:

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html

 

List of Religious organizations

The following religious organizations have voted to boycott, divest or advocate for government sanctions in support of the human rights of Palestinians: Presbyterian Church U.S.A.; United Methodist Church; United Church of Christ; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Unitarian Universalist Association; Alliance of Baptists; Mennonite Central Committee; American Friends Service Committee; Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation; Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men; National Coalition of American Nuns; and Roman Catholic Pax Christi.  Other religious denominations, including The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Mennonite Church USA, are also considering resolutions in support of BDS at their national assemblies this year.  

National Legislation (For your information)

US Congress - US Senate bi-partisan bill S 170

Combating BDS ACT 2017-2018 To provide for nonpreemption of measures by State and local governments to divest from entities that engage in commerce-related or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activities targeting Israel, and for other purposes.

State and local measures.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a State or local government may adopt and enforce measures that meet the requirements of subsection (b) to divest the assets of the State or local government from, prohibit investment of the assets of the State or local government in, or restrict contracting by the State or local government for goods and services

Text of S 170:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/170/text

Sponsors:  12 Democrats and 20 Republicans; including OR Sen. Wyden

List of co-sponsors:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/170/cosponsors

(If this passes, it will be challenged in the courts and will result in a civil rights case -  First Amendment rights, US Constitution.  Our right to participate in BDS was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 1982, NAACP vs Clairborn Hardware. See more on bills in state legislatures on Palestine Legal : http://palestinelegal.org/legislation/

 

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