Strong support for California Assembly Bill 715
Despite Jesse Gabriel's, a state lawmaker who co-chairs the Legislature’s Jewish Caucus, implication that 501(c)(4) organizations can only politically advocate within the scope of "social services organizations", [6] "in practice [such organizations may] spend [up to] 50% of their money on [any] politics." [7] During the Gaza war, JPAC "led", through the use of its preexisting relationships with the Legislative Jewish Caucus and other allies in the California State Legislature, advocacy efforts to change California's ethnic studies curriculum through the passage of AB 715, through what it considered to be "removal of antisemitic content" [8] such as "directly or indirectly denying the right of Israel to exist", a right that does not exist in international law, hinging instead on diplomatic recognition. After clashing with the California Teachers Association, "the [Jewish Caucus ...] unveiled a new bill that was nearly empty of specifics of what it would do". [9] Still objecting, organizations such as the California Faculty Association described the legislation as "fail[ing] to address [antisemitism] sincerely or prudently" while "instead offer[ing] a legitimate means to surveil and censor educators in the very institutions founded on the principles of free speech and academic freedom", [10] but this did not prevent it from being subsequently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. [6] Affirming the free-wheeling nature of JPAC's political advocacy, AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann characterized the CFA's objection as “ostracizing fellow citizens who are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel partnership” and of discriminating against pro-Israel Americans. [6]
"Dozens of Jewish organizations and advocates, including [...] the Anti-Defamation League and the Bay Area chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council." [11]
