Advocating for Justice and Palestinian Rights

Washington Advocates for Palestinian Rights (WAPR) is a grassroots network of people and organizations across Washington State who advocate with public officials at the federal, state and municipal level to promote justice and Palestinian rights. 
 
WAPR is a core member of the Seattle DEADLY EXCHANGE campaign to stop training exchanges between police in Seattle and Israel.  WAPR promotes the Defense of Children Act, U.S. House 4391, to stop funding Israel’s detention of children.  WAPR also continues to resist all state and federal legislation that attacks our right to boycott and tries to criminalize the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
 
Defending the Freedom to Boycott 
 
The past few years have seen several legislative attacks, at both state and federal levels, on free speech, on our right to boycott and on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. 
 
Take action to stop U.S. Senate Bill 1.  At the federal level, U.S. Senate Bill 1 is trying to prevent criticism of Israel by outlawing BDS and criminalizing people’s right to take collective action against injustice.  The bill has passed in the Senate and is currently in the House of Representatives.  
 
The Washington State Legislature saw four attacks on BDS in the 2017-8 session, including an anti-boycott bill announced in December by then-Senator Michael Baumgartner, House Joint Memorial 4004 and House Joint Memorial 4009 condemning the BDS Movement, and a Governors Against BDS statement issued by Governor Inslee.
 
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is a grassroots campaign to pressure Israel to abide by international law: end military occupation, ensure equal rights for Palestinians inside Israel, and accept the internationally-recognized Right of Return for Palestinian refugees. 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