The Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, which failed to pass a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives today, included bipartisan language by Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) to fight the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in Europe.
These provisions were originally introduced as H.R. 825, the U.S.-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act. In April, they were unanimously adopted into the House and Senate versions of TPA.
Extensive, bipartisan coalitions of outside pro-Israel groups support these anti-BDS measures.
“This bipartisan legislation is an important step in preventing Israel from becoming economically isolated and commercially marginalized,” The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago said before today’s vote. “Given the growing number of countries, primarily in Europe, that have sought to delegitimize Israel through BDS, this bill will provide needed leverage in ongoing trade negotiations to discourage protective U.S. trade partners from engaging in economic discrimination against Israel, and establish a clear U.S. policy of opposing BDS as counterproductive to global trade, regional peace, and stability.”
Other supporters of the anti-BDS provision included the Jewish War Veterans, Endowment for Middle East Truth, Act! for America, Scholars for Middle East Peace, Republican Jewish Association, Zionist Organization of America, The Israel Project, American Jewish Committee and American Israel Public Affairs Committee.