By TPS • 18 July, 2019

The House’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted in favor of H. Res. 246 to oppose the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The resolution is in favor of “opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel.”

Res. 246 has 340 cosponsors, 172 Democrats and 168 Republicans, and was originally introduced by Representatives Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), Brad Schneider (D, IL-10), Jerry Nadler (D, NY-10), and Ann Wagner (R, MO-2).

Zeldin, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Co-Chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, stated after the session that the vote was in favor of an “important resolution to oppose the BDS movement, which is a blatantly anti-Israel and anti-Semitic effort that seeks to delegitimize Israel and attack supporters of Israel.”

He called on the House to pass the resolution “as soon as possible” and “then do something about it, by passing S-1/H.R.336, legislation with teeth to combat BDS.”

He was relating to the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019, which authorizes assistance and weapons transfers to Israel, and allows states to divest from entities boycotting Israel.

During the session, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D, Min-5) assailed Israel and submitted a pro-BDS resolution.

“Unfortunately, there are Members of this House who continue to prop up the BDS movement and blame Israel for all of its challenges,” Zeldin charged in response. “Israel is our best ally in the Middle East; a beacon of hope, freedom and liberty surrounded by existential threats. Shame on Rep. Omar for bringing her hateful twist of this reality today to the committee and this chamber.”

26 US states have enacted anti-BDS laws or executive orders.