Originally published in the Tompkins Weekly, October 21, 2026
Our representatives in the New York State Legislature, Anna Kelles in the Assembly, and Lea Webb in the Senate, are currently asking us for our votes. So it is a perfect time for us to make an ask of them.
We are horrified by the crimes against humanity being committed by Israel, including genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid. Certainly we should all be able to agree to oppose these evils. But there are purported charities operating in New York State that receive the full benefits of not-for-profit status while materially supporting these atrocities. In effect, we the citizens of New York end up subsidizing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Just one example is the Jewish National Fund (JNF), an organization which has already lost its charity status in Canada. As documented by dawnmena.org, the JNF is “undermining the peace and security of the occupied West Bank; dispossessing Palestinians of their property; financing and facilitating illegal and racist settlement expansion; and providing material and financial support to violent or sanctioned Israeli settlements and settlers”.
The solution to this unacceptable state of affairs is legislation known as the Not on Our Dime! bill. This was first introduced in the Assembly in May of 2023 by Zohran Mamdani, and has been re-introduced (in a strengthened form) into the current Assembly and State Senate. This bill (A11289/S00606), when enacted into law, will prohibit “charities” from supporting activities that are “illegal pursuant to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court or under any of the international treaties signed at Geneva on the twelfth day of August, nineteen forty-nine, as amended, or any protocol to such convention to which the United States is a party contrary to obligations under international law.” It will also empower our Attorney General to dissolve a not-for-profit that violates these provisions.
To this date, Anna Kelles and Lea Webb have declined to co-sponsor the bill, despite having been educated on it by their constituents. Please join us in front of the local Democratic Committee Campaign Office located in Ithaca at 119 W Green St, across from Press Bay Alley, on Saturday, October 24 from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Members of the Green Party, the Downtown Berrigan Collective, and the Ithaca Committee for Justice in Palestine will be present to encourage our representatives to advance this bill and to educate and activate the public in its support. Let’s act to end our complicity!
The Green Party of New York is outraged by the petition seeking to remove Joseph Wetmore from the Lansing Town Board. Filed by Lauren Baker and litigated by the same law firm that has represented data center developer TeraWulf, this petition represents a serious threat to our fundamental rights to free speech, free association, and public advocacy—rights essential to a functioning democracy.
The alleged “misconduct” at the heart of this petition amounts to nothing more than Joseph engaging in discussions, both in person and online, with constituents and members of organizations working to protect our environment and community. Efforts to punish an elected official for these activities undermine democratic principles, threaten open public debate, and disregard the will of the voters.
Joseph has long been committed to protecting the environment and advancing progressive policies in Lansing. Most recently, he has taken a leading role in raising concerns about the proposed massive data center in the town. We stand firmly with Joseph in his efforts to protect Lansing’s environment, uphold democratic accountability, and ensure that residents have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their community.
Lauren Baker and the attorneys representing her are striking at the very foundations of our democracy. The Green Party of New York condemns this attempt to silence public advocacy through legal action and calls on citizens to make their opposition to this “lawfare” known far and wide. Defending Joseph Wetmore means defending the right of every community member to speak out, organize, and hold elected officials accountable without fear of retaliation.