Founder of Arkansas newspaper battles state law that requires him to pledge support for Israel

[sinkingfeeling]

https://www.rawstory.com/the-arkansas-times-israel-pledge/

The University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College had refused to contract for advertising with Arkansas Times unless it signed the pledge. "...why would we be required to sign a pledge regarding a country in the Middle East?" Alan Leveritt writes.

"I understood the context of that email. In 2017, Arkansas pledged to enforce support for Israel by mandating that public agencies not do business with contractors unless those contractors affirm that they do not boycott Israel," Leveritt writes. "The idea behind the bill goes back 16 years. In 2005, Palestinian civil society launched a campaign calling for 'boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel until it complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.' Around the world, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or B.D.S., as it became known, gained momentum. In response, Israel and lobbyists have used multiple strategies to quash the movement. In the United States, one such strategy took the form of anti-B.D.S. bills. Currently, more than 30 states have provisions on the books similar to Arkansas's."

"If we signed the pledge, I believe, we'd be signing away our right to freedom of conscience. And as journalists, we would be unworthy of the protections granted us under the First Amendment," writes Leveritt.

Instead of signing, The Arkansas Times sued to overturn the law on the grounds that it violates the 1st and 14th Amendments.

[Faux pas]

1. Kickin'

We don't OWE Israel ANYTHING

[packman]

7. Damn right, get that yoke off our neck

It's the right-wing evangelist lobby that keep pushing that Jesus/Holy Land crap. They can take care of themselves.

[Faux pas]

13. Agree!

[FoxNewsSucks]

2. I hope they win.

I support BD&S. And I'm tired of so much of our policy influenced by Israel.

[48656c6c6f20]

3. A mandate?

I'm am sure the republiQans will be all over this knowing their distain for mandates right?

[tritsofme]

4. BDS is an anti-Semitic movement.

But I don’t support laws that seek to punish their supporters.

[TheRickles]

5. I'm sure you''ve heard this before, but it's possible to oppose the policies of one political party

in Israel (the Likud) without being anti-Semitic. I agree with you in opposing "laws that seek to punish their supporters".

[tritsofme]

6. Likud is out of power, that excuse is wearing very thin.

[Diraven]

8. How it anti-Semitic?

You can refuse to support the actions of the government of Israel without being racist

[cab67]

11. Israel and Judaism are not the same thing.

I’ve been plenty critical of US policies throughout my adult life. That doesn’t make me anti-American.

Same principle applies. I strongly disagree with some actions taken by the Israeli government (whether or not Likud was in power). I’m not even anti-Israeli, much less anti-Semitic - I just don’t like some of the things the Israeli government has done.

[Girard442]

9. Mind you, a pledge to *never* support Israel would be equally bad.

[Red Pest]

10. Alan Leveritt is correct - the state should not be requiring newspapers to do this

The pledge that Arkansas is requiring the newspaper to sign is wrong. It is not about BDS, it is about the state having control over the news media. What else can the state require the media to do? Can they require them to support only the candidates of a particular party? Could they require support of any and all state laws? Where does this stop?

[crickets]

12. Well said. nt

[leftstreet]

14. +1