The Not On Our Dime law reemerges with renewed urgency

Legislation is re-emerging that would defund New York charities that engage in what they call unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activities.

State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani said the Not On Our Dime Act would also allow the state attorney general to recover a civil penalty, while creating a private right of action in cases of violations.

“Funding war crimes is not a charitable objective,” he said.

As the bill says, it targets in part nonprofits that fund the creation of Israeli settlements — communities established mostly on disputed land in the West Bank.

“A lot of these charities are openly fundraising for this activity,” he said. “For New Yorkers who aren’t familiar with what’s happening, I would say imagine this in a national context and how unacceptable it would be here. Why do we think it’s OK for charities to raise money for war crimes elsewhere? »

Republicans like Senator Jack Martins have criticized the bill, with Martins denouncing the bill for attempting to control what causes New York organizations can support.

“This bill would hold New York nonprofits accountable to a private cause of action if they choose to sue them because they choose to support Israel in its fight against terrorism,” he said. -he declares.

The bill, he claims, drags New York into international affairs and, he insists, amounts to enshrining anti-Semitism in state law, with Martins and other Republicans continuing to criticize the general use of the phrase “from the river to the sea” by pro-Palestinian supporters. protesters in New York State.

“What does New York State have to do with international conflict?” He said. “Why are we taking sides, and frankly, why are we taking sides against the Jewish community?

In response, Mamdani asserts that in the past, U.S. policy has clearly challenged Israeli settlement activities, including under President Ronald Reagan.

“He called for an immediate freeze on settlement activities, so why, when we follow the words, practices and policies of so many presidents before us, is this considered overstepping the mark?” -he asks.