Op-Ed: What if Iowa strengthened support for human rights?

 

By Kathleen McQuillen, reprinted with permission, first printed in the Des Moines Register Sat., Feb. 19, 2022

“Strengthen Iowa’s stance in support of Israel” is the title of an opinion piece printed in DM Register on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Interestingly it is a joint effort by long-time Republican leader, Charles Schneider, and long-time Democratic leader, Tom Henderson. Seems the only thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on these days is unwavering allegiance to Israel.

Unfortunately however, it seems Schneider and Henderson do not understand, nor do they care about, the reality on the ground in Palestine. Further they do not understand the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement. This movement grew out of Palestinian frustration with Israel’s refusal to negotiate in good faith. When it became apparent that Israel’s goal in the “peace process” was to use the negotiations and delays to claim more Palestinian land, eventually leading to the current situation wherein there is not a contiguous piece of land on which to build a Palestinian state. Even the land that had been set aside for a Palestinian state in the negotiations is increasingly swallowed up by Israel. It was at that point that the Palestinian people saw the futility and called on the international community to stand with them, as the international community had done with the South African people in their resistance to apartheid, through the ultimately successful BDS campaign.

Considering Iowa’s legislative initiatives and monetary contributions in support of Israel, it’s truly hard to comprehend how Iowa could “strengthen” its support for Israel.

The legislature has already passed an anti-boycott law in 2016 which seriously encroaches on free speech. Courts have repeatedly ruled that Money is Speech. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy in the Citizens United ruling wrote that limit­ing “inde­pend­ent polit­ical spend­ing” from corpor­a­tions and other groups viol­ates the First Amend­ment right to free speech. While challenges to the laws have won important victories in several states (AR, AZ, MD, TX, GA), lawmakers are not particularly concerned. They understand challenges to such laws are costly, and win or lose, lawmakers know the legislation itself puts a chill over support for Palestinian human rights.

Additionally the legislature is working on legislation to redefine “anti-semitism” in such a way as to include criticism of Israel as being anti-Semitic. This represents one more stake in the heart of Iowans who value our constitutionally protected free speech.

Further the whole of the US has been supporting Israel financially for years. According to the non-profit organization If Americans Knew, “Israel has been the largest annual recipient of direct U.S. economic and military assistance since 1976...” To this day the US gives $3.8 billion in military aid annually. Iowa’s share of that contribution is $28,414,471. Is this how Iowans want to spend our tax dollars – supporting Israel in their illegal occupation of Palestinian land? Supporting Israel in their illegal blockade of Gaza? Supporting Israel in what Amnesty International (and other human rights organizations) has labeled an “apartheid state”?

Would Iowa’s interest be better served in using that $28+million to provide our citizens with any one of the following:

351 elementary school teachers or

1883 Iowans with food assistance or

11,986 Iowans with healthcare or

384 clean energy jobs*

 

Clearly it is not Iowa’s support for Israel that needs to be strengthened, it’s the Iowa legislature’s support for human rights in Palestine and Iowa that needs to be strengthened.

* Data provided by US Campaign for Palestinian Rights  https://uscpr.org/militaryfunding

Kathleen McQuillen is director of the Catholic Peace Ministry.  This piece was also signed by representatives of the Iowa Peace Network; Methodist Federation for Social Action- Iowa Chapter; Middle East Peace Education Coalition; Physicians for Social Responsibility, Iowa; and Womens International League for Peace and Freedom- Des Moines Branch.