USA: a bill aims to criminalize support for the Palestinian cause

A sensitive text arrived yesterday in the House of Representatives. It would give the US Treasury the power to remove tax benefits from charities, without prior legal proceedings. The measure particularly worries defenders of Palestinian rights. According to them, this project aims to silence critical voices of Israeli policy, under the guise of the fight against terrorism.

The lack of legal guarantees is debated. An organization could lose its status based on classified information, with no way to defend itself. Opponents point out that the current anti-terrorist arsenal is already sufficient to regulate the activities of associations. Places of worship could also be affected. Synagogues, churches or mosques could risk sanctions if their positions are deemed problematic by the administration. A prospect that alarms religious leaders.

The timing of the text also raises questions. Its examination comes in a context where several international bodies are warning of the seriousness of the situation in Gaza, while numerous American associations openly criticize Israeli policy. Some see it as a maneuver to stifle this protest movement. In a letter to Congress, a hundred organizations denounce “a direct threat to constitutional freedoms”. CAIR, the main American Muslim organization, sees it as an attempt to “muzzle any criticism of Israel”.