US anti-boycott laws and their implications for free speech - Part 1 | Boycott
Boycott: The fight for freedom of expression
A series about US anti-boycott laws and their implications for freedom of speech.
Watch part 1 above. Watch part 2 and 3 below.
A three-part series ‘Boycott’ examines the full implications of US legislation introduced by thirty-eight American states between 2015 and 2024, which forces anyone who receives public funding to sign a contract preventing them from taking part in any form of boycott of Israel.
The series follows three cases – Arkansas news publisher Alan Leveritt, Arizona lawyer Mikkel Jordhal and Bahia Amawi, a speech therapist in Texas. They all refuse to sign work contracts which specifically preclude them from boycotting Israel. They each sue their states under their First Amendment rights in this gripping and eye-opening documentary mini-series. For some, they feel they have the moral right to boycott Israel, but for others the issue is not the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel but their enshrined right to act and say what they want as individuals, regardless of whether they want to boycott Israel or not. Support for this legislation comes from the American evangelical right, lobby groups and politicians from both parties.
‘Boycott’ offers an immersive and shocking insight into the power of these organisations, while also being an inspiring story of ordinary Americans standing up for their constitutional freedoms.