New York Just Launched a Blatantly Unconstitutional Attack on Your Freedom of SpeechBy Michaela Whitton Describing the BDS movement as an economic attack on Israel, Cuomos executive orderrequires the New York State Office of General Services to create a blacklist of institutions and companies involved in the BDS movement. All state agencies will be required to divest from such companies. In declaring the executive order sends a strong message against a hateful, intolerant campaign, Cuomo joins a long line of political leaders who assist in the whitewash of Israels war crimes by painting the BDS movement as anti-Semitic an intentional misrepresentation that is particularly ironic in view of the fact the campaign is endorsed by Israeli citizens and Jews worldwide. In February, the British government also launched a significant assault on political freedom by seeking to shield Israel from the growing pressure of the BDS movement. The controversial crackdown could see local councils, public bodies, and even university student unions in the U.K. banned by law from boycotting unethical companies. But, just as the boycott call regarding Apartheid South Africa was not racist against white South Africans, neither are legitimate political actions of the grassroots BDS campaign anti-Semitic. Consequently, the executive order has sparked outrage from activists fighting for Palestinian human rights and against Israeli settler colonialism, military occupation, and repeated military offensives on besieged Gaza. Rebecca Vilkomerson, Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace, called the move a McCarthyite attack on a movement for justice. She added that the order shows how out of touch the political leadership is with the growing number of Americans who support the use of nonviolent tactics to achieve freedom and equality for Palestinians. More worryingly, the New York Times reports several states have moved to support Israel and prevent governments and agencies from trading with companies or individuals who endorse boycotts. Similar bills have been introduced in both houses of the New York legislature, and a Republican-sponsored bill passed the state senate in January. At the same time Cuomo launched his chilling plan to punish human rights advocates the same week Israels occupation of the West Bank and Gaza entered its 50th year Human Rights Watch called on the International Criminal Court to open a formal probe into war crimes committed in Palestine. After nearly half a century of impunity, its time that those responsible for some of the gravest crimes pay the price, said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watchs Middle East and North Africa Division. While few hold their breath waiting to see Israel in the dock for war crimes, others undoubtedly want the right to choose how they spend their money in the meantime. Grassroots activists, CODEPINK, have launched a petition calling for Executive Order Number 157 to be repealed, claiming New York State has no business curbing political speech by instituting the McCarthyite blacklist. You can sign it here. This article (New York Just Launched a Blatantly Unconstitutional Attack on Your Freedom of Speech) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Michaela Whitton and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, email edits@theantimedia.org. Its only legal speech if its liberal speech Always be a light that is .shininginthedark.c Cumo is just another slobbering neocon junkyard dog following commands to sit- lie down- roll over attackbut mostly lie for the Rothschild clan in their Kingdom of Israhell..(imo)period end of story. Anyone speaking out against the zioinsts is a terrist. The zionists are the unholy antichrist. I guess we know who supports apartheid states. lucky to have time to save honest discourse in Kanada they have made it illegal to mention anything negative about There are cases of un-constitutionalism being committed every day and every where. We have 4 dual citizens sitting on SCOTUS and look what it has stamped kosher. What do you think will be stamped when they stick #5 in? Recall this is the SCOTUS who granted citizenship w/o the responsibilities to corporations, the SCOTUS who granted immunity from civil liability to big pharma and the liability for their poisonous vaccines damage RIGHT BACK ON THE TAX-PAYERS!! This, with only FOURwhat have they planned for when #5 is appointed? This nation is so f**ked dictionaries should put U.S. as the definition for f**ked. Do you think it is a coincidence that New York has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country? Guns support free speech. Paschn sounds like you are referring to the supreme jewstice and its puppet masters. Remember the Liberty! Boycott Israel. 