In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with internationally-acclaimed documentary filmmaker Julia Bacha about the growing campaign against “woke capitalism,” and specifically the attacks on what is known as ESG – shorthand for the movement to take environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into account in investing. This podcast seeks to answer the question: why is an organization called the Foundation for Middle East Peace interested in the battle over ESG, and what does this have to do with acclaimed documentary filmmaker whose work has focused largely on Israel/Palestine?
Recorded November 21, 2022
Resources from Just Vision/Julia Bacha
- Julia Bacha’s full bio
- Just Vision’s microsite – resource related to the movie Boycott
- Just Vision’s Anti-Boycott Legislation Tracker
FMEP Resources
- Free Speech-Quashing Laws Based on Israel-Focused Anti-Boycott Laws + Related Articles (at end of table)
- Constitutionality Issues & BDS Legislation: Source Docs & Expert Views (including details of court cases)
- Legislation to Constrain Boycott of Israel/Settlements (in States) – table
ALEC
- Draft model bill, the Eliminate Political Boycotts Act (dated December 2022) [closely resembles bills introduced in 2022 in Idaho and Minnesota)
- ALEC press release 2018 – ALEC Legislators Sign Letter to Reiterate Commitment to Free Market and Against Discriminatory Policies – Anti-BDS Free Market Policies Only Way to Ensure a Strong Israel
Media
- Rightwing group pushing US states for law blocking ‘political boycott’ of firms (The Guardian/Chris McGreal, 11/11/22) [“A powerful rightwing pressure group, the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), is pushing states to adopt a new law shielding all US businesses from ‘political boycotts’. Although primarily aimed at protecting controversial industries such as fossil fuel companies, big agriculture and gun manufacturers, the proposed legislation is written to prevent boycotts by investors, banks and other companies of any US business…The eliminate political boycotts act has its roots in legislation already on the books in more than 30 states to block boycotts of Israel over its oppression of the Palestinians.”
- ADL will take over a Jewish investment fund to fight BDS (The Forward/Arno Rosenfeld, 11/10/22)
- ADL press release
- ADL acquires JLens, entering the impact investing space (eJewish Philanthropy/Ben Sales, 11/10/22
- Lara Friedman (FMEP) Twitter thread 11/10/22 on ADL move, incl broader context & implications