New York lawmakers relaunch bill to end subsidies benefitting Israeli military and settlements

New York, New York - New York lawmakers and activists are reviving legislative efforts to end subsidies for charities funding Israeli abuses in Palestine.

New York State lawmakers, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and community groups come together to mark the relaunch of the Not On Our Dime! Act.
New York State lawmakers, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and community groups come together to mark the relaunch of the Not On Our Dime! Act.  © Screenshot/X/Phara Souffrant Forrest

A coalition of elected officials and community groups is relaunching the Not On Our Dime! Act (A6943/S6992), intended to prevent charity groups' tax-exempt donations from financing Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

If passed, the bill would allow the New York attorney general to fine or strip the charitable status from any organization found in violation, as well as enable Palestinians to file lawsuits seeking accountability.

Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and State Senator Jabari Brisport first introduced the legislation in May 2023.

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Supporters now want to expand the scope of the bill to bar fundraising in support of the Israeli military, which is waging a brutal siege on the displaced and starving people of Gaza.

The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel's ongoing Gaza offensive – which has killed over 35,000 Palestinians to date – to be plausibly genocidal.

Not On Our Dime! Act gains broad support

The Not On Our Dime! Act has gained the endorsements from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Adalah Justice Project, Jewish Voice for Peace New York City, the Center for Constitutional Rights, United Auto Workers Region 9A, and more.

"Our government isn't simply allowing war crimes against Palestinians – it's subsidizing them," Brisport wrote on X to mark the relaunch. "To the lawmakers who opposed this bill & didn’t understand a year ago why we introduced it: I invite you to change course and stand with us now."

Supporters of the Not On Our Dime! Act are encouraging everyday New Yorkers to contact their elected officials urging them to back the legislation.

Cover photo: Screenshot/X/Phara Souffrant Forrest

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