Jewish students charged with old anti-Semitic canard of “dual loyalties” and barred from positions in student government because of their faith. Hateful agitators in unions and corporate shareholder meetings likening Israelis to Nazis. University students calling for Zionists to be sent to the gas chambers and plastering swastikas across Jewish fraternity houses. These kinds of anti-Semitic attacks are not taking place in some far off dystopian world, but rather here and now, across California’s university campuses and in our communities.
Over the past decade, the Golden State has become a hot- bed for hate in the form of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS has branded itself as a human rights movement fighting for the Palestinian cause, often hiding from the public its central goal: the destruction of Israel. The architects of BDS – and the majority of its supporters – do not embrace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians or a negotiated peace in the form of two-state solution. Instead they seek to create single Palestinian state to take the place of Israel, annihilating world’s only homeland for the Jewish people – and America’s only democratic ally in the region.
California needs to lead by example and demonstrate to other states how to create a more inclusive environment in the face of BDS lies and bigotry. Similar bills have surfaced in other states including South Carolina, Illinois, New York, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania – the makings of a strong counter campaign against the BDS movement. Together, we can stand up to this wave of hate – and give voice to those now facing discrimination. By voting yes on California Combating BDS Act of 2016, our leg- islators can help to ensure that our state serves as a role model, not a cautionary tale.