27 February 2020

Resisting the Censors - Electronic Intifada Podcast – Interviews with Tony Greenstein and Abby Martin


Tony Greenstein Interview with Redline – New Zealand Marxist Blog on Zionism and latest developments in Palestine

Both of these interview, one with a relatively unknown Marxist blog in New Zealand and the other, an interview with Asa Winstanley and Nora Barrows-Friedman of the Palestinian web site Electronic Intifada.
Both these interviews concern the attacks on freedom of speech on Palestine. Abby Martin, a well known photo journalist was interviewed first. Abby was invited to speak, on an unrelated subject, to Georgia Southern University. Before being allowed to do so she was told she had to sign a contract to get paid and part of this contract was a provision in   she had to undertake not to support or advocate for BDS.  Abby refused and is now suing the state of Georgia under Amendment 1 of the American constitution.
Asa’s interview with me was wide ranging, concerning the attacks on free speech in the Labour Party and related subjects. The witchhunt, and the concentration on Jewish targets in the Labour Party, ironically given its supposed to be about ‘anti-Semitism’.


On episode 15 of The Electronic Intifada Podcast, filmmaker and journalist Abby Martin discusses her recent free speech lawsuit against the state of Georgia and its anti-BDS law.
Later in the episode, activist and writer Tony Greenstein explains the state of anti-Zionist politics following the struggle over false allegations of anti-Semitism in the UK Labour Party.
Abby was invited to be the keynote speaker at a conference at Georgia Southern University. But officials demanded she sign a contract which stated: “You certify that you are not currently engaged in, and agree for the duration of this agreement not to engage in, a boycott of Israel.”
Abby refused to sign the Israel loyalty oath and her keynote was canceled, as was the entire conference.
Georgia is one of 28 US states to pass a draconian anti-boycott measure. Most recently, South Dakota’s governor signed an anti-BDS measure into law by executive order in mid-January.
These laws aren’t “even necessarily meant to be implemented,” Abby tells The Electronic Intifada Podcast. “It’s meant to censor and control political speech and scare people into not participating in the BDS movement, to not participate in divestment campaigns, and to not participate in, let’s just say, street actions.”
Abby is joined by her lawyer Gadeir Abbas, who is part of a team of civil rights attorneys behind the lawsuit.
Later on in the episode, veteran left-wing Palestine solidarity activist and Jewish anti-Zionist Tony Greenstein joins us to discuss the state of the UK Labour Party.
Tony is the author of a fascinating and excoriating blog.
He tells us, “Yes, Jews are undoubtedly disproportionately represented amongst those who have been victimized” in the Labour Party witch hunt over anti-Semitism.
Articles we discussed
Production assistance by Sharif Zakout
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