May 12, 2024

 

Of Microphones and Diversity of Thought

As a rabbi, I have the privilege of spending much of my time engaged in deep, thoughtful, personal conversations about some of life’s most important and existential matters. Family. Identity. Literal life and death. 

I also spend a lot of time talking about microphones. 

Our congregation is a diverse one on almost all metrics. We are from many places; we do many things; we look many ways; and we are drawn to and practice many facets of Judaism. Some are quite traditionally observant, heeding the myriad strictures of Shabbat, kashrut, and holiday rules. Others come to synagogue for reasons outside of classic obligation, and construct Shabbat and holiday experiences that live alongside but not necessarily within the conventional structure. (Others, we know, often do not even come at all.)

Rabbi Sarah Krinsky is part of the leadership team at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC. She has served as a member of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Social Justice and Public Policy Staff, and a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. She has developed social justice programming, including community engagement opportunities, for all age groups. She is the recipient of several awards from UJA and JTS. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions.

 

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

1. Bills & Resolutions

Targeting Free Speech/Academia/Right to Protest

(THE RETURN OF THE ISRAEL ANTI-BOYCOTT ACT) HR 867: Introduced 1/31/25 by Lawler (R-NY) and currently having 19 cosponsors (15 Republicans and 4 Democrats), “To amend the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018 to apply the provisions of that Act to international governmental organizations,” aka, the “IGO Anti-Boycott Act.” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. On 5/2/25, the GOP House leader published a list of bills to be considered by the House on 5/5/25 under suspension of the rules. That list included HR 867. This announcement sparked backlash on social media, including from some House Republicans and some major Republican influencers. Subsequently, on 5/4/25 the GOP House leader published a new notice listing bills to be considered 5/5/25 under suspension of the Rules – HR 867 was not on that new list. More details of this mini-drama are below:

  • My viral 5/2/25 X-thread (posted minutes after House leadership sent out notice that the bill would be on Monday’s suspension calendar): “Love it or hate it – on Monday the House will vote on HR 1867 [yes, this is a typo – the correct bill number is HR 867, as reflected in the analysis and bill link included in the rest of the thread, and as reflected in the correction I posted moments after the thread went up, and then posted multiple times again over the weekend as the thread went viral], ‘The IGO Boycott Act’, the current iteration of the ‘Israel Anti-Boycott Act’ – to impose harsh penalties, incl fines/jail on Americans who, in line with their values/political views, boycott Israel or settlements. 1/ As covered in the 2/27/25 edition of the Round-Up: HR 1867, like its predecessors, seeks to amend/expand current US anti-boycott law. That law is based on the idea of preventing US citizens from being **compelled or coerced** into boycotting Israel… 2/…as a condition for doing business abroad under the Arab League Boycott of Israel (which included coercive secondary sanctions). 3/ this bill, like its predecessors, seeks to extend this law to ‘cover US citizens who boycott Israel &/or settlements NOT because they are being compelled/coerced, but because it reflects their own values/political views, including support for intl law… 4/ …with the hook being the EU’s policy urging companies to differentiate between Israel and settlements, and the UN’s database of companies working in settlements. As a reminder, the EU policy nor the UN database are entirely informational/advisory… 5/ …neither one includes any enforcement or accountability mechanism of any kind.’ [ie, they are entirely non-coercive, at most advisory measures] 6/ Yet under this bill, ‘anyone who violates or ‘abets’ what would be a ban on VOLUNTARY, VALUES-BASED decisions to boycott Israel or settlements, grounded in Americans’ personal & political views &/or informed by respect for intl law— could face massive CRIMINAL/CIVIL PENALTIES. 7/ What do I mean by ‘massive CRIMINAL/CIVIL PENALTIES’? I mean up to $1 MILLION in fines or up to 20 YEARS IN PRISON. Think I’m exaggerating? Read the legislation that it would amend.8/ The bill (on Monday’s suspension calendar) 9/ Deeper coverage in the 2/7/25 edition of the Round-Up: 10/ Announcement of Monday’s suspension calendar 11/ ACLU letter opposing this same legislation in the last Congress  12/ For further background/analysis on this legislation see this collection of resources: (link)“

Lara Friedman is the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP). With more than 25 years working in the Middle East foreign policy arena, Lara is a leading authority on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, with particular expertise on the Israeli-Arab conflict, Israeli settlements, Jerusalem, and the role of the U.S. Congress. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions.

 
 
 
 
 

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