Dear Khani,
Just a few weeks ago, legislators reintroduced federal anti-boycott legislation. A bipartisan bill, the International Governmental Organizations (IGO) Anti-Boycott Act, aims to impose fines or prison time on those who boycott Israel because of information and guidance provided by the EU or UN, a murky decree targeting international avenues for accountability. While distinct from state anti-boycott bills in its approach, the goals of the IGO Anti-Boycott Act remain the same: chill free speech, silence political dissent, and give legal cover for Israel’s human rights violations.
This legislation has been filed and refiled in Congress for years and never passed. But the new U.S. administration’s vow to punish people advocating for Palestinian rights and its willingness to dismantle democratic norms brings repressive measures like this to the forefront with sharp, frightening clarity.
The anti-boycott bills are just the tip of the iceberg. Lawmakers are advancing bills to codify a concerning definition of antisemitism that conflates it with criticism of the State of Israel. Meanwhile, nonprofits are bracing for H.R.9495, dubbed the “nonprofit killer” bill for the extraordinary power it would give the executive branch to strip any nonprofit of its 501(c)(3) status, as it moves through Congress. Organizations supporting Palestinian rights are the obvious immediate target, but those working to advance racial equity, civil rights, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice, and more are also in the crosshairs.
This very same repressive machinery is alive and well in Israel-Palestine. Just this month, Israeli police raided an internationally-reputed Palestinian bookstore in occupied East Jerusalem, arresting the owners and confiscating dozens of books they claim are “suspected of incitement,” including a children’s coloring book. This was just the latest move by Israeli authorities—going back decades and ramped up in the past 16 months—to curtail Palestinian freedom of expression.
From Israel-Palestine to the U.S. and far beyond, authoritarian forces are pulling out all the stops to silence voices of dissent, doing so for one simple reason: they know that truth-telling threatens their power. We see this when Israeli authorities jail, censor, or kill Palestinian journalists and activists, when U.S. leaders pass anti-boycott and don’t-say-gay bills, ban books, and penalize indigenous land protectors. We see it as references to trans people vanish from U.S. government websites, while words like “justice” and “equity” get scrubbed from civil society organizations.
As the tactics to criminalize self-expression and free speech that have long targeted those fighting for Palestinian rights get weaponized against our cross-movement allies, we remain clear-eyed and resolute in our mission. For two decades, Just Vision has understood the importance of amplifying courageous, dissenting voices to drive change. Through award-winning filmmaking, hard-hitting journalism, and strategic audience engagement, we’re disrupting mainstream narratives and holding the powerful to account. Our commitment to a just, rights-respecting future in Israel-Palestine is unwavering. Our persistence in telling under-documented stories with nuance, care, and accuracy is uncompromising. As we meet the urgency of this moment, we’re expanding the lens through which we understand the political climate, deepening our journalistic impact through real-time narrative change, and equipping organizing efforts in Palestinian, Israeli, and American societies with the resources they need.
These times are dark and uncertain. But the power that everyday people can wield when they push back is real, and the evidence is all around us. In Illinois, activists are courageously working to repeal the state’s anti-boycott law, following in the footsteps of lawmakers and organizers in Texas, Colorado, and Minnesota. In Massachusetts, interfaith organizers are challenging a state commission established to fight antisemitism but which is dominated by organizations with connections to anti-Palestinian discrimination. And despite the failure of American studios to distribute the Oscar-nominated documentary No Other Land, the film’s directors, Local Call reporter Yuval Abraham and contributing writer Basel Adra, are making sure the film’s recounting of the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in Masafer Yatta continues to touch millions of viewers and make headlines.
We’re also pleased to share that Al Jazeera English has recently launched a fourth global broadcast of Boycott, reaching millions with a story that grows more relevant by the day. If you don’t have access to Al Jazeera, Boycott is still available to stream for free on our website. You can also check out our Legislation Tracker to follow anti-boycott bills in states across the U.S. To dive more deeply into lawfare attempting to suppress nonviolent civil resistance, explore this compilation of reports from the Foundation for Middle East Peace. We also encourage you to reach out to us directly; we’d love to hear what resources you’re leaning on, and what is keeping you grounded and hopeful during this time.
Our struggles for justice across issues and geographies are deeply intertwined, and the right to speak freely is at the center. Those who cannot win a debate have only one option: to shut it down. Ongoing attempts to silence dissent tell us that our voices wield power. Let’s keep lifting them, taking care of each other, and stay focused on the crucial work ahead of us.
With determination,
Suhad Babaa President & Executive Director, Just Vision Co-Publisher and Co-Director, Local Call Producer, Boycott | 
