U.S.-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA) released the following statements after introducing H.R. 825, the U.S.-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act. This bipartisan bill would counter the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and strengthen the U.S.-Israel economic relationship. Over the past several years, a growing contingency of countries across the globe have sought to isolate and delegitimize Israel through BDS. This bill leverages ongoing trade negotiations to discourage prospective U.S. trade partners from engaging in economic discrimination against Israel. It also establishes a clear U.S. policy in opposition to state-led BDS, which is detrimental to global trade, regional peace and stability.
“The historic alliance between the United States and Israel is rooted in shared moral standards, mutual strategic interests, and a commitment to confronting common enemies wherever they may surface,” said Congressman Roskam. “Today, an alarming number of countries within the European Union and beyond have embraced BDS as a form of economic warfare aimed to cripple Israel’s economy and demonize its very existence. These attacks not only threaten Israel, but commercial relations across the globe. The U.S-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act will ensure that American free trade partners never engage in this harmful and illegitimate political protest against Israel, while also protecting U.S. companies from foreign lawsuits targeting their associations with Israel. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Vargas. Although we hail from different political parties, we share a common belief that a strong and prosperous Israel is a necessity for the United States. Congress has always been the bedrock of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and we have an historic opportunity before us to once again reaffirm the mutually beneficial ties that bind our great nations.”
“BDS is a harmful political tactic which seeks to undermine and diminish Israel’s economic strength,” saidCongressman Vargas. “We need to reassure our commitment to our ally in the region by clearly defining U.S. policy to oppose this practice and dissuade other nations from adopting BDS policies toward Israel.”
I would also expect that Christians United For Israel, CUFI.org, would mobilize their two million members to weigh in on this with congress. From the U.S. Jewish establishment I expect little or nothing.
From AH’s pen to G-d’s ears. I pray this bill becomes law.
The hubs of Dis-Information (academia and schools in general) need to be addressed in a similar fashion. Billions of petro$ are been peppered all over the “school system” with the main purpose of triggering mass antisemitism. The American left is only copying the Socialists of Europe.
God willing. This would be great! How about all the Colleges in here in America
The U.S. – Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act, introduced in the US House of Representatives on February 10, 2015, by Congressmen Peter J Roskam (R-IL) and Juan Vargas (D-CA) is perhaps the single most powerful response devised to date against the anti-Israel boycott, disinvestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. If enacted into the Federal statutory code of the United States, it could in fact break the back of the on and off moves of the European Union to browbeat Israel into accepting the status of a 21st century Czechoslovakia in March 1939, when Hitler and Goering compelled the president of that unfortunate state to surrender to the rule of a Hitler-appointed Nazi overlord.
There is evidence that Israel’s economy now includes increasing trade with Asian, African and South American countries, and especially with giants such as China and India, which lessens effects of the various EU-based trade sanction threats. But it is nice to know that Israel and the Jewish nation has and will continue to have strong support from the American people and from their representatives in the great Congress first crafted by Jefferson, Adams, Washington, Madison, and Monroe some almost two and one-half centuries ago.
In light of this newly-introduced legislation on the part of the US Congress, Binyamin Netanyahu’s scheduled address to the two houses of the Congress 17 days from now assumes an all the greater importance. Chances are that some of the Democrats who had announced their intention of not being present for that address may well think of reasons to change their minds.
A great deal of legislation is introduced in the US House of Representatives, where all revenue bills originate. Some bills go nowhere. Others are modified in committee or in negotiation with the US Senate. Still others are passed by the Congress and vetoed by the US President. But this is a movement that may well catch the eye and temperament of the American people. If so, it may not be feasible for President Barack Hussein Obama to get it killed or to veto it as an infringement of his powers to make foreign policy. And if the support of two-thirds of the Congress can be deployed in support of the measure, then Obama would risk a congressional veto override that would in itself all but wreck his aura of leadership of the foreign affairs of the United States, and of his entire presidential legacy.
Of course, we should expect Jew-hating Jews such as the J-Street crowd to turn against us on this as they do on so many other Jewish and Israel-focused issues. But if we have an American people and their great Congress, then we can treat the J-Street gang as though they had never been born. Because what are they to us, other than the degraded human offal of the Jewish nation, that should be disposed of in any accessible sewer system?
HaShem, thank You for not forgetting us yet again.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI