Israel is an apartheid nation. But don't even try to say that in Arizona

Most of us are aware of the historic boycotts against South African apartheid in the ’80s.

I was involved in that movement as a college student. Post-apartheid South Africa is now a much better country.

So, why is discussion about boycotting Israeli apartheid so radically punished in Arizona and the nation?

Many see Israel as an apartheid state

Apartheid is the institutionalized, systematic oppression and domination of one race or ethnicity over another. Every credible human rights organization, including Israel’s B’Tselem and Amnesty International, concludes that Israel is practicing apartheid towards Palestinians.

Apartheid has become entrenched in what has become a permanent Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

Boycotting Israeli apartheid has become widespread, including by many Protestant denominations and the wider Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

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Millions of American Jews object to Israeli apartheid. A 2021 poll by the Jewish Electorate Institute found 38% of Jews under the age of 40 see Israel as an apartheid state. American Jews and Palestinians are at the forefront of advocacy for Palestinian human rights.

Given this, could we have a rational discussion? Is it apartheid, or isn’t it? If it is, should our government be funding it? Should we boycott with our personal money?

Say as much, and you're an 'antisemite'

Supporters of Israel’s apartheid system are desperate to avoid these discussions by punishing boycotting. Boycotters like me are slammed as “antisemites,” just as critics of South African apartheid were called “communists.”

Antisemitism is horrific. Hitler’s Germany would have taken my son, whom I raised Jewish. But labeling opposition to Israeli apartheid as antisemitic makes a mockery of the word and fuels real antisemitism.

Arizona adopted a law blacklisting independent contractors like me from getting government work unless they sign a loyalty oath to Israel, stating they would not boycott Israel. I challenged that law and won a statewide federal court injunction against its enforcement based on our First Amendment rights.

Instead of admitting their mistakes, the Legislature simply exempted a large majority of independent contractors (including me), limiting those oaths to contracts over $100,000 and companies employing 10 or more employees.

An Arkansas newspaper is challenging a similar law requiring it to give up its constitutional rights if it wants state advertising. That case is now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

All we want is a civil conversation

My legal challenge, featured in a documentary entitled “Boycott,” exposes how anti-boycott efforts are leading to restrictions on the right to boycott even fossil fuels and the firearms industry. Going down this road, could it be that only contractors that support Republican positions will be able receive government work?

I personally invited Arizona Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, an ardent supporter of right-wing Israel, to come to a screening of the film at the state Capitol. I mentioned I knew we were on opposite sides on the Israeli apartheid issue but offered to have a civil conversation about boycotting restrictions in a small venue.

Boy, was I naïve. Instead of responding to me, she publicly slammed the senator co-sponsoring the film, associated boycotters like me with “terrorists” and antisemites, and warned all Arizona senators and representatives not to attend. It seems she’d rather put the interests of the Israeli hard right ahead of our American constitutional rights.

It’s time to knock off the cancel culture and have a real discussion about human rights and apartheid in Israel. Israel can be a much better country if it ends its apartheid and gives equal rights to those it permanently controls. Alma – can we just have that conversation?

Mikkel Jordahl is a practicing attorney who lives in Sedona. He was represented by the ACLU in his lawsuit against Arizona over a law restricting those contracted with the state from boycotting Israel. Reach him at mikkeljordahl@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Boycott Israel' are 2 words you cannot say in Arizona