Republicans in Congress are introducing measures to combat efforts by the Democratic Party to boycott the state of Israel, amid a rise in anti-Semitism among the Democratic base and elected officials.
As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, one such bill was introduced by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), in the wake of Senate Democrats and the Biden Administration making it easier to boycott products made in Israel. Tenney’s bill would forbid the Biden Administration from rescinding an executive order which ensures that products made in controversial areas of Israel, such as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, are still allowed to bear labels saying “Made in Israel.”
The far-left and anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement has often targeted Israeli-made products, seeking to remove “Made in Israel” labels since they believe contested areas of land are not really in Israel. As such, Tenney’s bill is named the Anti-BDS Labeling Act.
Two weeks prior, Senate Democrats rejected a measure that would have prohibited the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from issuing penalties for products made by Jews who live in allegedly contested areas of the nation. The Biden Administration also recently cut all government funding for any Israeli research organizations that operate in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Tenney’s bill would protect an executive order that had been issued by President Donald Trump, which ordered that “products made in Israeli-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria be marked as originating from ‘Israel.'”
“The Anti-BDS Labeling Act ensures an accurate representation of products that originate from Israel, Gaza, or Judea and Samaria,” said Congresswoman Tenney in a statement. “This not only reinforces existing U.S. policy, but also prevents the BDS movement from arbitrarily discriminating against goods made in Israeli-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria.”
After many years of both parties broadly supporting the state of Israel, the Democratic Party has seen an alarming rise in anti-Semitism within its ranks in recent years, particularly when it comes to a group of far-left members of Congress known as “The Squad.” This group includes Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the latter of whom has repeatedly made anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks since taking office.