[/b]Bernie Sanders’ new plan to force a genuine debate in Congress on Israel[/b]
Earlier this week I wrote about the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, a piece of legislation that some Democrats and Republicans are hoping to quietly attach to a budget bill so it can be passed into law. The bill would bar American companies and individuals from participating in certain boycotts of Israel, and though even its supporters say it would have minimal practical impact, it represents a serious attack on fundamental principles of free speech.
The bill is also part of a broad nationwide movement playing out at both the federal and state level to quash criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud government and its policies toward the Palestinians, an effort that Democrats unfortunately have participated in far too often.
Now two Democratic Senators -- Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Dianne Feinstein of California -- have a plan to try to do something about this. They are coming out against that measure, which could help realize the larger goal of forcing a genuine debate in Congress that does not place such criticism off limits.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...ebate-congress-israel/?utm_term=.2549f0474a43
