Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Center to America’s Newest Free-Speech Battles

Abby Martin, with Palestinian journalists, produced a documentary called “Gaza Fights For Freedom”, which covered the Great March of Return protests in Gaza. Cr: hosny_salah

By: Nathan Matsko

Bellefonte — Journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin filed a federal free speech lawsuit against Georgia Southern University on February 10th, after her talk at the university was canceled when she refused to abide by Georgia’s anti-BDS laws.

In cooperation with the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, the lawsuit seeks to “fight to restore the first amendment,” Martin said in a statement.

The BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Movement describes itself on its website as “A Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice, and equality”. The movement seeks to use economic pressure, as suggested by the name, to advocate for Palestinian rights, and against violations of International Law by Israel, such as the continued expansion of settlements into the West Bank, or the shooting of unarmed protesters in the West Bank and Gaza.

Some, however, see the movement as anti-semitic and hateful towards Israel. Recently, there have been more and more cases of Anti-BDS legislation being passed in states around the country, such as in Georgia.

Over two dozen states have passed Anti-BDS laws. These laws vary, but many allow businesses to disassociate with personnel who support the BDS movement. Critics of this kind of legislation claim that they violate fundamental free speech rights.

These laws have been challenged before. In 2018, a Palestinian-American teacher in Texas was fired after she refused to sign a new contract which included an anti-boycott clause, though a federal judge sided with the teacher in the end.

This same law, which forbids state agencies from doing business with any companies that supported BDS, was also criticized when individuals filing for relief after hurricane Harley were forced to sign a non-boycott agreement.

The lawsuit being put forth in Georgia is capable of becoming one of the most high-profile BDS debates in the country. Martin, a former host for Russia Today and  Telesur’s “The Empire Files” docuseries, has covered events in Palestine for years and has been vocal about support for the BDS movement.

In 2016, Martin was banned from entering the Gaza Strip and accused of having ties to the Iranian government. Despite this ban, Martin continued her pro-Palestinian activism, working with Palestinian journalists to produce a documentary called “Gaza Fights For Freedom”, which covered the Great March of Return protests in Gaza.

While the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, so will the conversation surrounding the core of the issue. What will follow in the Georgia lawsuit will surely set a precedent for other states with Anti-BDS laws, and set the tone for the conversation in the future.