Electronic Intifada - US lawmakers could rush two bills into law that aim to silence and criminalize Palestine rights advocacy.
The legislation – the Israel Anti-Boycott Act and the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act – could be tacked on to a spending bill, evading debate on the House and Senate floors.
End-of-year spending bills are usually thousands of pages long and include legislation that could not pass earlier by regular means.
Both bills have been stalled in Congress amid First Amendment concerns, but sponsorship and support from Democratic and Republican representatives has been climbing.
If passed, the bills would have a chilling effect on students and scholars who criticize Israel and bolster efforts by Israel lobby groups to blacklist, surveil and harass supporters of Palestinian rights.
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