A bipartisan group from the US House of Representatives is calling for the federal government to investigate the use of the Boston "BDS Map" by violent extremists and terrorists, and boost security for the organizations listed.
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Sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI director Christopher Wray, the letter warns that the "Mapping Project" released earlier this month by a BDS group in eastern Massachusetts – listing Jewish organizations with names and addresses – could be used as a roadmap for violent attacks by BDS supporters, including anti-Semitic Foreign Terrorist Organizations, homegrown extremists and domestic extremists.
The effort was led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Don Bacon (R-Neb), and joined by 35 colleagues.
From our friends at the Mapping Project! Their map and articles illustrate how local support for the colonization of Palestine is structurally tied to policing, evictions, and privatization locally, and to US imperialist projects worldwide.
Check it out: https://t.co/HpNaCvxUXS pic.twitter.com/fzyFP5uERE– BDS Boston (@BDSBoston) June 3, 2022
"We fear that this map may be used as a roadmap for violent attacks by supporters of the BDS movement against the people and entities listed," wrote the letter's authors. "We ask that you investigate the use of the Mapping Project by extremist organizations, provide any necessary enhanced security for targets listed in the project, and work with social-media companies and Internet service providers to prevent its further distribution. We must not turn a blind eye to this dangerous incitement."
The letter cited instances of antisemitic violence in the past several years and the ADL's 2021 "Audit of Antisemitic Incidents" that indicated that the number of such attacks in the United States rose by 34% within the year and was the highest rate recorded since the survey began in 1979.
"The BDS Boston-endorsed Mapping Project's call to 'dismantle' most of Boston's Jewish community because of the purported 'devastation' they cause to others is a form of intimidation deeply rooted in anti-Semitic tropes. This call to action against a wide swath of a community is unacceptable and dangerous," said ADL CEO and national director Jonathan Greenblatt in a news release.
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"I applaud Congressman Gottheimer and his colleagues for their leadership in taking a stand against this antisemitism and join in calling on the appropriate authorities to address this situation with the seriousness it requires."
The letter also praised the FBI for tracking the development, urging them to work with all levels of law enforcement throughout the country.
JNS.org contributed to this report.
