Texas Anti-BDS Lawsuit: Free Speech for Some, Not for All
While The Hill frames this as a generalized concern for 'educators’ free speech rights,' the specific context is Texas's anti-BDS law. This legislation, and similar ones in over half of US states, requires state contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel. Such laws consistently target speech critical of Israeli government policies, painting dissent as disqualifying rather than constitutionally
protected. Texas House Bill 89 (2017) mandates that all state contracts over $100,000 include a clause prohibiting companies from boycotting Israel. (Source: Texas Legislature Online) The hypocrisy deepens when considering the millions spent by groups like AIPAC to ensure these laws are passed. According to OpenSecrets.org, AIPAC and its constituents have poured over $213 million into federal
elections since 1990, influencing lawmakers to prioritize foreign policy loyalty tests over domestic civil liberties. The question isn't whether free speech is threatened, but whose speech is deemed 'free' and whose is deemed 'punishable' when U.S. foreign policy interests (and donor interests) are at stake.