The Israel Anti-Boycott Act – bipartisan legislation authored by Reps. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and Juan Vargas, D-Calif., to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel in international governmental organizations – advanced through the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
This legislation mandates that President Donald Trump update the Code of Federal Regulations to prohibit the compliance of boycotts or requests for boycotts imposed by international governmental organizations against Israel – similar to prohibitions already in place with respect to boycotts imposed by foreign countries.
With recent reports indicating that the United Nations Human Rights Council will continue its push to publish a blacklist of companies operating in Israel or Israeli-controlled territories, this legislation will protect American companies from being used by foreign countries and international governmental entities to further or support unsanctioned foreign boycotts.
“As international bodies seek to wage economic warfare against Israel, it is imperative we stand with our ally, Israel, and combat these one-sided, politically motivated efforts to weaken and isolate the Jewish state,” Roskam said. “This legislation would update our anti-boycott laws to ensure we combat modern boycott efforts targeting Israel.”
