New York and 38 other states have enacted anti- boycott measures penalizing individuals and companies boycotting Israel over its illegal occupation of Palestine and decades-long abuse of Palestinian human rights.

Julia Bacha’s documentary film Boycott (2021, Just Vision) traces the impact of these laws. A news publisher in Arkansas, an attorney in Arizona, and a speech therapist in Texas each launch courageous legal battles in opposition to their state’s anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) laws and in defense of the First Amendment.

A discussion will follow the screening.

'Boycott' was released two years before Israel launched its current brutal campaign in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, but this story is more relevant than ever with wide-spread efforts to silence pro-Palestinian voices. In addition, right-wing groups have begun using state-level anti-BDS laws as templates for legislation to restrict grassroots campaigns calling for boycotts in relation to other issues such as climate change and gun ownership. Boycotts are a time-honored, effective tactic for social change used in struggles for civil rights and labor rights in the US and against apartheid in South Africa.