[Peace] [Steering] Fwd: Urgent: New Massachusetts bill to silence Palestinian voices and free speech

[Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin]

I am in favor

On Jun 9, 2023, at 2:48 PM, Tony Palomba via Steering <steering at watertowncitizens.org> wrote:


I would like us to endorse this effort.

Tony

Tony Palomba
781-664-3525


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: JVP Boston <jvpboston at gmail.com<mailto:jvpboston at gmail.com>>
Date: Thu, Jun 8, 2023 at 12:06 PM
Subject: Urgent: New Massachusetts bill to silence Palestinian voices and free speech
To: JVP Boston <jvpboston at gmail.com<mailto:jvpboston at gmail.com>>




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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               UUJME NE
June 8, 2023


Dear friends,



We are writing to alert your organization to a dangerous new attempt to silence Palestinian voices and free speech in Massachusetts.


It comes in the form of deceptive new bill at the Massachusetts state house, H.1558<https://legiscan.com/MA/text/H1558/2023>, which aims to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into law.


Of course, antisemitism is a rising threat that must be dismantled as part of a broader struggle against white supremacy wherever it rears its ugly head.  But the IHRA definition of antisemitism is a wolf in sheeps’ clothing.  Even though it’s dressed up as a tool to fight hate speech, its actual purpose is to undermine the movement for justice in Palestine, free speech, and antiracist struggles by labeling critiques of Israel as antisemitic.  We are attaching a document that explains why H. 1558 is deceptive, dangerous, and widely disputed.


We are writing to ask your organization to endorse this campaign to stop codification of the IHRA definition in Massachusetts.


Please fill out this form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KlC0T9dAcpxUDQjIMGG8hXbe9xbQd0eqwBknVoVOwsE/edit?pli=1> as soon as possible if your organization would like to add its name to the call to stop codification of the IHRA definition in Massachusetts.


The bill is now in the Judiciary Committee.  We will be lobbying committee members in the summer.  According to state house sources, the hearing on this legislation will take place in the fall.  We’ll reach out to you later in the summer to see if you would like to testify at the hearing.


For now, we ask your organization to endorse the campaign by filling out this form. <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KlC0T9dAcpxUDQjIMGG8hXbe9xbQd0eqwBknVoVOwsE/edit>



Please contact us at jvpboston at gmail.com<mailto:jvpboston at gmail.com> with any questions.


Thank you,



The Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine, Boston Workers’ Circle,  Jewish Voice for Peace Boston, Massachusetts Peace Action, and Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (New England Chapter)

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Jewish Voice for Peace Boston
<MA IHRA messaging document .pdf>
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