Israel has been granted protection from its critics by the state of Florida in recent amendments to the Florida Educational Equality Act (FEEA) that suppresses free speech.
Under new definitions of anti-Semitism adopted by the American state, limits have been placed on discussions of the plight of the Palestinian people and underscoring the brutality of Israel’s occupation.
Palestine 365, the Ongoing Opression:
How Does One Not Question the Loyalty of a State Government When the Governor Signs a Bill that Blatantly Violates the First Amendment in… https://t.co/spfubGJOJj
— HC4Life AB (@HC4LifeAB) June 12, 2019
The bill is likely to open the door for criminal charges to be leveled against human rights activists and critics that advocate a single democratic state in which Israeli Jews, Palestinians, and all others are granted full, equal rights.
Supporters of the Palestine cause face the prospect of being silenced on the grounds that calls for equality under a single democratic state is deemed to be an attempt to deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination and that such a call for non-discrimination questions Israel’s right to exist.
* Florida bill would censor info on Israel-Palestine in schools, colleges https://t.co/DNsXvZLYiU
— Ikbal35 (@ikbal20012) June 10, 2019
Florida signed the bill while its governor, Ron DeSantis, was on tour of Israel and the occupied territories.
DeSantis, who has called Florida “the most Israel-friendly state in the country”, visited the US embassy in Jerusalem to ceremonially sign the new law. He also paid a visit to Ariel University, located in an illegal settlement, to receive an honor for “his dedication, leadership, and commitment to the State of Israel.”
#Republican Gov. #RonDeSantis has signed a bill into law making it illegal in the state of #Florida to criticize #ApartheidIsrael's illegal occupation of #Palestine; such a re-definition of #Antisemitism is itself #Antisemitic as well as unconstitutional~!https://t.co/7ct7XoUEUP
— Pauline Park (@paulinepark) June 16, 2019
Reports also confirm that he had met with Sheldon Adelson, a top funder of the Republican Party and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
