US House Overwhelmingly Passes Anti-BDS Resolution
Stand for Israel | July 24, 2019
While American politics have too often devolved into partisan bickering and pompous grandstanding, it is heartening to see when politicians can reach across the aisle and come to an agreement — especially when it comes to U.S. support for its greatest ally, Israel. Such was the case this week, The Times of Israel’s Eric Cortellessa reports, when the U.S. House of Representatives voted 398-17 to not only oppose the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Movement against Israel but to increase support for the Jewish state:
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Tuesday that rejects the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, after some Democrats expressed concern last week that the measure could cause infighting within the party leading up to the 2020 election.
The bill — formally known as House Resolution 246 — also calls for increased security aid to Israel and a two-state solution. It passed by a vote of 398-17, with five abstentions…
The measure “opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement) targeting Israel, including efforts to target United States companies that are engaged in commercial activities that are legal under United States law, and all efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel.”
It also says that the BDS campaign “undermines the possibility for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by demanding concessions of one party alone and encouraging the Palestinians to reject negotiations in favor of international pressure…”
The powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — applauded its passage.
“The resolution sends a powerful message that the House of Representatives explicitly rejects discrimination directed against the Jewish state through economic, cultural and political boycotts” the group said. “Underscoring the House’s solid pro-Israel position, the resolution was cosponsored by 350 representatives — strong majorities of both parties…”