(The Center Square) – Recent critical remarks from top-ranking state officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, have not deterred Palestinian support among progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups in Pennsylvania.
Earlier this month, Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-Jacobus, and Steven Santarsiero, D-Doylestown, announced a bill to prevent state-funded institutions from divesting from Israel. The legislation explicitly names schools like Penn and Pitt whose encampments made headlines across the globe.
Before the bill itself had even appeared, Palestine supporters mobilized to demand their senators oppose it. Formally introduced as Senate Bill 1260 , it awaits consideration from the upper chamber’s State Government Committee – the first of many hurdles to clear before finding its way to Shapiro’s desk, if ever.
“Public support for Palestine is at an all time high, and Pennsylvanians across the state are demanding that our tax dollars stop funding genocide,” said Brian Keisling of the Harrisburg Palestine Coalition, an advocacy group that organized a phone call and letter writing campaign around the bill. “It is an outrage that our elected officials are not only ignoring the will of the people but actively working to outlaw popular policies like divestment from Israel before they can become reality.”