U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) praised fellow lawmakers in the House and Senate who passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation last week that included language he authored combatting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
These provisions, which were originally introduced in the U.S.-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act, were unanimously adopted into the House and Senate versions of TPA earlier this year.
“Today, for the first time in nearly four decades, Congress sent legislation to the president’s desk to combat efforts to isolate and delegitimize the State of Israel,” Roskam, co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, said. “The recent wave of boycotts originating in Europe, including French telecom company Orange’s decision this month to sever ties with Israel, demands a robust response from the United States. This (legislation) is that response. The bipartisan TPA provisions I authored are simple: if you want free trade with the United States, you can’t boycott Israel.”
Roskam’s additions are strongly supported by a growing list of pro-Israel groups and activists, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Ambassador Michael Oren, the American Jewish Committee, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, The Israel Project, Stand With Us, Zionist Organization of America, Republican Jewish Coalition, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, Endowment for Middle East Truth, Act! for America, and Jewish War Veterans.
“After today, discouraging economic warfare against Israel will be central to our free trade negotiations with the European Union,” Roskam added. “Congress will not be complicit in the marginalization of our ally Israel by watching these attacks from the sidelines. Instead, we have decided to fight back against the BDS movement and ensure the continued strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.”