US Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit claiming Palestinian rights group ‘supports terrorism’

A Palestinian rights organisation based in the United States achieves victory as the US Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and US citizens in Israel against it.

The lawsuit was based on the speech and activities of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), which supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

JNF, which was established in 1901 to buy and develop lands in historic Palestine to house illegal Jewish settlers, alleged that the USCPR provided “material support” for terrorism by advocating for Palestinian human rights; however, the district court’s dismissal was unanimously upheld by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

READ: The JNF/KKL: A Charity Complicit with Ethnic Cleansing

The accusers used the allegation of supporting terrorism to discredit and dehumanise Palestinians engaged in advocacy, including their endorsement of boycotts, the Centre for Constitutional Rights said.

“USCPR’s message is justice for all and an end to funding genocide. There’s no lawsuit in the world that can stop us from pushing our demands for human rights,” said Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of the USCPR. “We will remain focused on opposing Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people and pursuing justice and freedom for the Palestinian people.”

Lawyers for the USCPR say that the BDS movement is not an illegal organisation and that it was founded by an array of legitimate Palestinian groups as a peaceful means of fighting for their rights.

Moreover, Diala Shamas, a lawyer at the USCPR, said: “The JNF’s prolonged and egregious pursuit of a fishing expedition to silence and intimidate urgent advocacy for Palestinian rights has been definitively put to rest by the Supreme Court.”

She added, “The JNF’s accusations were baseless, as recognised by the district court, the court of appeals, and now confirmed by the Supreme Court. Now, as the government of Israel is carrying out an unfolding genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, it is more important than ever that activists be free to speak out without fear. This is an important victory, but USCPR shouldn’t have been subjected to these smears in the first place.”