The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed an anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution unanimously on July 17.
The resolution, House Resolution 246, condemns the BDS movement for engaging in “efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel” and undermining prospects of peace with its opposition to a two-state solution.
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, tweeted:
Great News! @HouseForeign just passed HRes246 opposing the BDS movement, which is a blatantly anti-Israel & anti-Semitic effort that targets Israel & the Jewish people. The full House should pass this reso ASAP & then do something about it by passing S-1/HR336 as well!
— Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) July 17, 2019
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) similarly said in a July 18 statement that the committee’s passage of the resolution is a “testament” to the “overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress for strengthening our relationship with our vital ally Israel.”
“I’m looking forward to this measure being brought to a vote on the House floor, to emphasize the broad support for a two-state solution and for combating bias and anti-Semitism,” Gottheimer added.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt praised the resolution’s passage in a July 17 statement.
“We are pleased that the vast majority of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are affirming their opposition to efforts to delegitimize Israel, especially the boycott movement targeting Israel, while supporting a pathway to peace,” Greenblatt said. “This constitutionally sound resolution protects the right to speak out freely against BDS, while not impinging on the free speech rights of those with other views.”
The resolution’s passage comes after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a resolution celebrating the right to boycott as the impetus for supporting BDS. Zeldin criticized Omar pro-BDS statements:
Israel is our best ally in the Mid East; a beacon of hope, freedom & liberty, surrounded by existential threats. Shame on Rep @Ilhan Omar for bringing her hateful twist on that reality to House Foreign today, propping up the BDS movement & blaming Israel for all of its challenges pic.twitter.com/y975D0JCaC
— Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) July 17, 2019
