Advocating for Justice and Palestinian Rights
Washington Advocates for Palestinian Rights (WAPR) is a grassroots network across Washington State to advocate with public officials at the federal, state and municipal levels to promote justice and Palestinian rights.
Defending the Freedom to Boycott
We are supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, a grassroots movement for freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people. The BDS movement aims to end Israel’s ongoing violations of human rights, and to set the stage for a lasting and just peace for all peoples of Israel/Palestine. BDS is an inclusive, anti-racist human rights movement opposed on principle to all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
In attempts to curb criticism of Israeli government policies, the free speech rights of U.S. citizens (specifically the right to participate in BDS and to boycott) have come under attack. Anti-BDS legislation that targets activists, nonprofit organizations, and corporations who participate in BDS has become law in 26 states. In 2017-2018, anti-BDS measures surfaced in our own Washington State Legislature. In the U.S. Congress, many anti-BDS bills have been introduced over the years, with one recently passing in the U.S. Senate.
WAPR continues to resist all state and federal legislation that attacks our right to boycott and tries to criminalize the BDS Movement. The BDS call is modeled after the South African boycott and thus calls for broad boycotts against Israeli institutions. Nothing in it calls for discrimination against individuals solely because of their national origin, religion, or ethnicity. Whatever your views on Israel, Palestine, or BDS, anti-boycott measures should be of concern, because they threaten our right to take collective action against injustice.
Contact us: WAPalestinianRights@gmail.com
Defending the Freedom to Boycott
We are supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, a grassroots movement for freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people. The BDS movement aims to end Israel’s ongoing violations of human rights, and to set the stage for a lasting and just peace for all peoples of Israel/Palestine. BDS is an inclusive, anti-racist human rights movement opposed on principle to all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
In attempts to curb criticism of Israeli government policies, the free speech rights of U.S. citizens (specifically the right to participate in BDS and to boycott) have come under attack. Anti-BDS legislation that targets activists, nonprofit organizations, and corporations who participate in BDS has become law in 26 states. In 2017-2018, anti-BDS measures surfaced in our own Washington State Legislature. In the U.S. Congress, many anti-BDS bills have been introduced over the years, with one recently passing in the U.S. Senate.
WAPR continues to resist all state and federal legislation that attacks our right to boycott and tries to criminalize the BDS Movement. The BDS call is modeled after the South African boycott and thus calls for broad boycotts against Israeli institutions. Nothing in it calls for discrimination against individuals solely because of their national origin, religion, or ethnicity. Whatever your views on Israel, Palestine, or BDS, anti-boycott measures should be of concern, because they threaten our right to take collective action against injustice.
Contact us: WAPalestinianRights@gmail.com