Free Speech vs. Israel: GOP CIVIL WAR!
A bipartisan bill to criminalize boycotts of Israel has collapsed after MAGA lawmakers revolted, turning a foreign policy measure into a free speech flashpoint.
At a Glance
House cancels vote on IGO Anti-Boycott Act amid GOP backlash
Bill proposed up to $1M fines and 20 years in prison for boycotting Israel
MAGA lawmakers cite First Amendment in opposing legislation
AIPAC-backed bill faces unexpected resistance from right-wing Republicans
Pew poll shows rising unfavorable views of Israel among younger Republicans
MAGA Lawmakers Derail Israel Boycott Bill
A bipartisan bill to punish Americans who participate in boycotts against Israel has been abruptly pulled from the House floor following a revolt from within the Republican Party’s MAGA faction. The IGO Anti-Boycott Act, introduced by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), aimed to amend the Export Control Reform Act of 2018. It would have criminalized compliance with boycott requests from international organizations like the United Nations.
The bill’s penalties were severe: up to $1 million in fines and 20 years in prison for those found in violation, according to Middle East Eye. Critics called it an extreme overreach that risked punishing Americans for their political beliefs.
Watch Al Jazeera’s report on the incident at “US bill to ban Israel boycotts faces right-wing backlash”.
In an unexpected twist, the House canceled the scheduled vote amid mounting right-wing opposition. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced on Twitter, “I’m told we are no longer voting on this. It’s been pulled.” Her concerns weren’t isolated—Representatives Thomas Massie and Anna Paulina Luna echoed similar constitutional critiques. Luna warned the bill would “penalize” constitutionally protected speech, telling Newsweek, “Americans have the right to boycott… I cannot violate the First Amendment.”
Pro-Israel Lobby Meets Conservative Pushback
The legislation had powerful backers. AIPAC, the influential pro-Israel lobby group, championed it as a critical tool to fight rising antisemitism on the international stage. A spokesperson for Gottheimer slammed the backlash as “offensive,” accusing the MAGA wing of siding with “hate-driven boycotts.”
But the backlash highlighted deeper fissures in Republican politics. Greene fumed in a social media post, “Why are we voting on a bill on behalf of other countries and not executive orders that are for our country?” Charlie Kirk, a leading conservative voice, joined in the chorus, warning that criminalizing dissent “violates a core American principle.”
GOP Shifts on Israel
The collapse of the bill signals a turning tide within the GOP. A Pew Research Center poll shows growing skepticism toward Israel among younger Republicans, especially in the aftermath of Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The war’s escalation has fueled student-led protests across the U.S., where many argue that advocating for Palestinian rights is now conflated with criminal conduct.
Civil rights organizations like CAIR condemned the bill as unconstitutional, citing America’s long tradition of protest—from Boston Tea Party boycotts to campaigns against apartheid South Africa. “The right to boycott is an intrinsic part of the First Amendment,” CAIR emphasized in a public statement.
The Road Ahead
Though the bill’s future is unclear, the political fallout is already evident. What was intended as a bipartisan stand against antisemitism has instead exposed fault lines in the GOP, especially between establishment figures and ascendant MAGA ideologues.
For now, lawmakers are left grappling with the deeper question: When does defending an ally abroad justify limiting freedoms at home?