New York, NY, July 17, 2019 …
ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today commended the House Foreign Affairs Committee for approving H. Res. 246, the bipartisan resolution opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the counterproductive global boycott, divestment and sanctions movement targeting Israel.
“We are pleased that the vast majority of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are affirming their opposition to efforts to delegitimize Israel, especially the boycott movement targeting Israel, while supporting a pathway to peace,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “This constitutionally sound resolution protects the right to speak out freely against BDS, while not impinging on the free speech rights of those with other views.”
ADL helped mobilize broad community support for this resolution and its Senate companion measure, S. Res. 120, byorganizing a letter to Congressional leadership signed by a broad range of pro-Israel and Jewish communal organizations.
This resolution, which also reaffirmed Congress’s ongoing commitment to direct negotiations between the parties, leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is overwhelmingly supported by strong majorities of both House Democrats and House Republicans, as is the Senate resolution.
ADL also welcomed the House Foreign Affairs Committee taking up the United States-Israel Cooperation Enhancement and Regional Security Act (H.R. 1837) and the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act (H.R. 1850), both of which are endorsed by ADL and have broad bipartisan support.
The U.S.-Israel Cooperation Enhancement and Regional Security Act writes into law the increases in U.S. aid to Israel that were agreed to in 2016 by President Barack Obama and boosts bilateral efforts to cooperate in a range of other fields.
The Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act helps combat international material support to the U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
These measures are particularly relevant given the dangerous remarks last week by a member of Hamas’ political bureau callingfor a worldwide genocide against the Jewish people and the ongoing threats to Israel’s security by groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.