ILLINOIS: Two Democratic legislators in Illinois have introduced legislation to repeal a law adopted by the state in 2015 that imposes penalties on anyone who participates in, or refuses to denounce, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
In July 2015, Illinois became the third of 38 US states to approve anti-BDS laws, calling the movement “antisemitic.”
Each state’s anti-BDS law varies in how they punish American citizens and businesses that refuse to sign a certified letter denouncing the boycott of Israel.
Punishments range from denying qualification for state jobs and state contracts, to denying the awarding of loans, financial support or funding grants.
The Illinois law denies the issuance of loans to businesses that refuse to sign a letter vowing not to engage in a boycott of Israel.
State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, the only Palestinian American serving in the state house, and State Sen. Michael Porfirio, a decorated Iraq war veteran, said the anti-BDS law strips Americans of their fundamental rights under the US Constitution.
“I introduced a bill in the Illinois House called the Illinois Human Rights Advocacy Protection Act, HB 2723,” Rashid said during a presentation on Sunday at a forum organized by the Arab American Democracy Coalition.
“What this bill would do is repeal our outdated and very problematic law that was passed in 2015 and signed by Gov. (Bruce) Rauner that penalizes companies that boycott Israel,” he added.
“When Ben & Jerry’s decided that it was going to stop selling ice cream in illegal Israeli settlements, our pension fund retaliated against them by divesting from Unilever, its parent company.
“And when Airbnb decided it wasn’t going to list units in illegal settlements, they had to backtrack and they were forced to list the units … It’s time that we kick that law off the books.”
Porfirio said he is proud to co-sponsor the legislation in the Illinois Senate and to support the state’s Arab and Muslim communities.
“We really do make a point to work together to represent the community, to make sure that we have government that delivers good service, and that we’re fighting for policies and legislation to give everyone the opportunity to achieve the American dream,” he told the forum.
Porfirio emphasized that the issue is “about protecting the fundamental rights guaranteed to every American in the US Constitution to express their views publicly and without fear of retribution ... It’s un-American to curtail the right to free speech.”
Rashid and Porfirio urged the public to contact their local state legislators to support the Illinois Human Rights Advocacy Protection Act, HB 2723, to immediately repeal the anti-BDS law.
AADC President Ahmad Sows said if the repeal of the “discriminatory Illinois anti-BDS law” is successful, it could start a “domino chain reaction” and result in the repeal of anti-BDS laws that have been passed in the other 37 states.
A date for a public hearing on the proposed repeal legislation has not yet been set by the Illinois House or Senate.
At the time of the original law’s passage, it had the backing not only of several pro-Israel legislators, but also of then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was criticized for his anti-Arab policies.
His first act upon election was to eliminate Chicago’s Advisory Commission on Arab Affairs and terminate the annual Arabesque Festival, which showcased Arab heritage in Chicago’s downtown.
