Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Image by Getty Images

By Nathan Guttman August 8, 2017

Groups opposing the proposed Israel Anti-Boycott Act registered another victory this week after progressive icon Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined the ranks of those critical of the legislation.

At an August 4 event, the Massachusetts Democrat was asked by an activist from Jewish Voice for Peace, a group fighting against the bill, for her opinion.

“I do not support the boycott, I think the boycott is wrong,” Warren said. “But I think outlawing protected free speech activity violates our basic constitution.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

This view seems to be in line with that of the American Civil Liberties Union, which asked senators to oppose the bill because it may prevent Americans from expressing their free speech in the form of boycotting Israeli products. Authors of the bill argue that it does not penalize individuals seeking to boycott Israel, and that it only targets companies adhering to boycott demands presented by foreign governments or international organizations.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand decided last week to withdraw her sponsorship of the bill after hearing from critical constituents during a town hall meeting.

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com or on Twitter @nathanguttman

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount