House Attempts to Pass Bill to Criminalize Criticism of Israel

Corporate Democrats are joining MAGA Republicans to pass the worst suppression of free speech in modern history

If you care about democracy, free speech, or the right to dissent — then you need to know about HR 867, the so-called “Countering Antisemitism Act.” Despite the name, this bill isn’t about protecting anyone from hate. It’s about criminalizing Americans for engaging in peaceful protest. Specifically, it seeks to impose up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for participating in or supporting boycotts against the state of Israel if those boycotts are initiated by international bodies like the United Nations.

Let me be clear: this bill is one of the most grotesque attacks on the First Amendment in modern American history. And shockingly, it’s being supported not just by far-right Republicans — but by five Democrats as well. Let’s Address This.

Arizona: Americans protest the attempt to criminalize peaceful boycotts of the Government of Israel

A Direct Attack on Our Constitutional Rights

Boycott is a protected constitutional right. Human rights activists seek peaceful boycott to express their opposition to the Israeli government building illegal settlements on Palestinian land. These settlements now exceed 700,000 illegal settlers. Settlers who are commandeering Palestinian homes, displacing Palestinian people, and destroying Palestinian rights. Those who condemn violent reactions to these illegal settlements should be at the forefront of condemning peaceful resistence to these illegal settlements. Instead, we find stunning hypocrisy that those who claim to oppose violent resistence, support violent occupation instead, and instead now seek to ban peaceful resistence.

The right to boycott is a foundational American tradition — from the Boston Tea Party to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, peaceful economic protest is how Americans have held the powerful accountable for centuries. In fact, in NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co. (1982), the Supreme Court ruled that boycotts for political, social, and economic change are protected under the First Amendment.

HR 867 spits in the face of that legacy. It criminalizes peaceful dissent if that dissent challenges a foreign government that happens to be allied with the U.S. That’s not democracy. That’s tyranny.

Meet the Democrats Who Co-Signed This Fascist Bill

These are the five Democratic members of Congress who co-sponsored HR 867 — lending bipartisan cover to what amounts to a criminalization of conscience:

• Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]: (202) 225-4465

• Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23]: (202) 225-3001

• Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]: (202) 225-3615

• Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]: (202) 225-3101

• Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]: (202) 225-5516

Every one of these lawmakers swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. Every one of them is betraying it with this bill. Be sure to let them hear your opposition to HR 867. Here is a short script to use when you call or email your member of Congress:

Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m calling to urge you to oppose HR 867.

This bill is an outrageous attack on our First Amendment rights. It seeks to criminalize peaceful boycotts—one of the most foundational tools of democratic protest. Under HR 867, Americans could face a $1 million fine and 20 years in prison just for participating in or supporting a boycott called by the United Nations or other international bodies.

Boycotts helped end apartheid. They helped advance civil rights. And now, Congress wants to criminalize that legacy? This isn’t about foreign policy—it’s about free speech. Whether you support or oppose a specific boycott doesn’t matter. What matters is that in a democracy, dissent is not a crime. I strongly urge you to reject HR 867 and defend our constitutional rights.

Thank you.

This Isn’t New. It’s Part of a Structural Effort to Criminalize Palestine Advocacy.

HR 867 is an extension of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act of 2018, and part of a growing pattern in U.S. policy. Already, at least 37 U.S. states have passed laws penalizing individuals, businesses, or contractors who boycott Israel. That’s nearly 75% of the country criminalizing peaceful protest.

Why should you care — even if you don’t personally support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement?

Because if the government can criminalize one form of protest, it can criminalize any form of protest. Today it’s Palestine. Tomorrow it could be reproductive justice. Racial equity. LGBTQ+ rights. Labor unions. Police reform. Climate justice. Free speech is not free if it only applies to issues you happen to agree with.

What Happens When Peaceful Protest Becomes Illegal?

Also, think about this. We specifically call people to reject violent protests and engage in peaceful protests. But now, if the American people cannot protest peacefully — what’s left? Silence? Submission? Complicity?

This bill sends a terrifying message: if you speak out against injustice, your government may imprison you. If you stand with oppressed people — you may be financially ruined. This is not speculation. HR 867 calls for actual prison time of up to 20 years and financial destruction for dissenters of $1,000,000.

And all for what? To protect a foreign government from criticism? That’s not national security. That’s authoritarianism. A reminder once more that states don’t have rights. People have rights. Jewish people have rights. Muslim people have rights. Christian people have rights. Atheists have rights. But governments and states do not have rights, and legislation that criminalizes peaceful opposition to a government is legislation that leads to autocracy.

We’re Pushing Back — But We Need Your Voice

As I wrote this, thanks to growing public pressure HR 867 was just pulled from the voting calendar this week. This is a temporary reprieve. It’s not gone and it’s not dead. If anything, the bipartisan support behind it means it could come back at any moment, perhaps hidden in a larger appropriations bill or reintroduced under a new name.

We must stop this now. And we must make sure our lawmakers know: We will not trade away the First Amendment for political convenience or foreign allegiance.

Here’s What You Can Do:

Call and email your Representatives today. Tell them to vote NO on HR 867 — and to denounce this bill publicly. I have provided a script and numbers above. This includes calling the five Democrats co-sponsoring this fascist bill.

Share this article. Help people understand what’s at stake. Our free speech is not negotiable.

And if you value the work I do — please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support independent human rights advocacy. I don’t take corporate money. I don’t work for any party machine. I write for the people — and I speak truth to power no matter the cost.

Conclusion

I’ve spent my life as a human rights lawyer defending people’s right to speak, protest, dissent, and demand justice. What HR 867 represents is nothing short of a constitutional crisis.

This is not a left-vs-right issue. This is a freedom-vs-fascism issue.

You don’t have to agree with the BDS movement to understand the stakes here. You just have to care about democracy. Because if HR 867 becomes law — it won’t stop with Palestine. It will come for every movement for justice.

Now is the time to rise. Now is the time to speak. Before they criminalize that, too.

Let’s address this — together.