NYC Democrat running for Congress shows support for anti-Israel boycott movement

New York state assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou (D), who is running for Congress this fall, gave her “full-throated support” for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel during a recent interview.

The Manhattan Democrat was asked to clarify her stance on BDS by Ben Max of the Gotham Gazette on his podcast, citing recent seemingly-conflicting reports.

Niou carefully outlined her support for the “safety, security and well-being of all Jewish people” before saying, “When it comes to Israel and Palestine, I support the BDS movement’s right to political speech.”

“I was very, very clear about that, including boycotts and economic pressure,” she emphasized on the Max Politics podcast episode published July 19.

“I also share the movement’s commitment to human rights, you know, I think that, and that’s for everyone in the region.”

She defended boycotts specifically as constitutionally protected, citing their use against South African apartheid and by Rosa Parks and others in Montgomery, Alabama.

The BDS movement has been criticized by pro-Israel groups as antisemitic. Support by progressives for it has alarmed establishment Democrats, who are traditionally aligned with Jewish Americans and Israel.

The host pressed her on the point, asking: “And in giving full-throated support for the right to do these things, do you also consider yourself a supporter of that BDS movement?”

Niou danced around the issue. After finding her words, she responded: “I believe our tax dollars should never be used to violate human rights, which is why I also support legislation that would prevent federal funds from going to the persecution of Palestinians or to the construction of settlements.”

The assemblywoman mentioned fellow Evergreen College student Rachel Corrie, who was run over and killed by an Israeli armored bulldozer during a 2003 protest.

“She was my classmate, and she was my friend, and she was part of the movement and that movement obviously deserved to be heard,” Niou said of her Corrie.

But in the end, she did not answer the question, saying: “And so here's the bottom line, I think I'll just say it out loud, that I will be a strong voice in Congress, against occupation, and in support of equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Israelis and Palestinians. So I think that the only way we get there is through direct negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians themselves.”

Niou is fighting for the Democratic nomination in the crowded primary for New York’s 10th Congressional District left open when the incumbent declared he would run in another redrawn district.

An outspoken supporter of the “defund the police” movement, she was criticized for admitting recently that she moved out of Harlem due to safety concerns.