The Mondoweiss Podcast 37. Arkansas' anti-BDS law was upheld in court. What happens now?
Last month a US court of appeals upheld an Arkansas law that prohibits state contractors from boycotting Israel.
The 9-1 decision reversed a previous ruling that determined the law was unconstitutional. Despite the fact that over 30 states have adopted similar laws, it was the first full federal appeals court ruling on the subject. The decision was written by Judge Jonathan Kobes, a Trump appointee the American Bar Association rated as unqualified when he was nominated.
The Arkansas story dates back to 2018 when a local paper, the Arkansas Times, refused to sign a pledge promising to refrain from boycotting Israel in order to obtain an advertising contract with a public university. The paper’s publisher, Alan Leveritt, sued the state over the law. He was represented by the ACLU. Leveritt has said he’s not a supporter of BDS, but launched the complaint over First Amendment concerns.
U.S. correspondent Michael Arria spoke with Amal Thabateh, the Michael Ratner Justice Fellow at Palestine Legal about the ruling and its potential legal impact going forward.
- - - - -
Support our work
Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate
Articles and Links mentioned in the show
- Arkansas’ anti-BDS law violates the First Amendment, says court, Michale Arria
- In landmark ruling, Court of Appeals allows states to enforce anti-BDS pledges, Mitchell Plitnick
- ‘Boycott’ is a powerful film that needs to be seen, Michael Arria
- Subscribe to our free email newsletters.
Share this podcast
- Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet!
- If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show!
Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen
- Amazon
- Apple Podcasts
- Audible
- Deezer
- Gaana
- Google Podcasts
- Overcast
- Player.fm
- RadioPublic
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- TuneIn
- YouTube
- Our RSS feed
We want your feedback!
More from Mondoweiss
Subscribe to our free email newsletters:
Follow us on social media