Diverse Coalition Denounces Pro-Israel ‘Classroom Censorship’ Bill (AB 715) at Capitol

The coalition says AB 715 is a pro-Israel classroom censorship bill that suppresses education about Palestine and Palestinians, shields Israel and the political ideology of Zionism from scrutiny and conflates criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism—chilling discussion, erasing Palestinian perspectives, and threatening academic freedom and honest inquiry across California schools.

In a statement, CFA President Margarita Berta-Ávila said:

“CFA is proud to come together to defeat AB 715, a dangerous bill that threatens academic freedom, undermines due process, unfairly holds parties accountable for the actions of others, and poses a grave risk to all schools and districts. Although AB 715 intends to address issues of discrimination in education, the bill, as currently written, puts into place a system and process that, in this politically polarized climate, will facilitate local-level citizen policing that will undoubtedly cause harm. And we just cannot have that.

“The policing of content related to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, including subjects related to ethnic studies, through the supervision of an ‘antisemitism coordinator,’ poses significant dangers to democratic and constitutional rights. AB 715 is a precedent-setting bill that will create further divisions at a time when Californians face unprecedented threats to our humanity by the federal government. We do not need a bill that will create a climate of fear, intimidation, and suspicion. Instead, we must concentrate on what will bring us together.”

In a statement, JVP Bay Area’s Seth Morrison said:

“As a proud Jew, I am concerned about antisemitism, which is mostly from the extreme right. But AB 715 is a pretense to protect Israel from well-deserved criticism. It won’t make me and my fellow Jews any safer.”

In a statement, AROC Organizing Director Mohamed Shehk said:

“As Israel is starving and massacring Palestinians in Gaza, its supporters are trying to shield it from criticism in the US through policies like AB 715, just as Trump is doing at a federal level with higher education.”

In a statement, CAIR-CA Legislative & Government Affairs Director Oussama Mokeddem said:

“We are seeing the most brutal phase of this genocide in Gaza, and more people are aligning with their conscience and speaking out. We cannot afford to lose the opportunity to use our voices—the least we can do to achieve justice for the Palestinian people—to speak truth to power and ensure the Palestinian struggle, along with the struggles of all marginalized communities, are represented accurately in our classrooms.

“Unfortunately, AB 715 serves as a vehicle to silence our voices in California. We need to ensure that the future of education is representative of the concerns of our communities. You cannot weaponize antisemitism to justify genocide.”

The coalition is urging lawmakers to vote NO on AB 715 and on any amendments that impose viewpoint-based restrictions on instruction. Educators, students, and families are encouraged to contact their representatives and join the statewide campaign to defend honest, inclusive public education.

Action link - Defeat AB 715: https://win.newmode.net/cairca/sen-ed-defeat-ab715


CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

https://ca.cair.com/press-release/diverse-coalition-denounces-pro-israel-classroom-censorship-bill-ab-715-at-capitol-press-conference-and-rally/