[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 120 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 120
Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 25, 2019
Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Portman) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel.
Whereas the democratic Jewish State of Israel is a key ally and strategic
partner of the United States;
Whereas, since Israel's founding in 1948, Congress has repeatedly expressed our
Nation's unwavering commitment to the security of Israel as a Jewish and
democratic state;
Whereas United States policy has long sought to bring peace to the Middle East
and recognized that both the Israeli and Palestinian people should be
able to live in safe and sovereign states, free from fear and violence,
with mutual recognition;
Whereas support for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians has long-
standing bipartisan support in Congress;
Whereas it is the long-standing policy of the United States that a peaceful
resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should come through
direct negotiations between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian
Authority, with the support of countries in the region and around the
world;
Whereas it is a hallmark of American democracy for citizens to petition the
United States Government in favor of or against United States foreign
policy;
Whereas cooperation between Israel and the United States is of great importance,
especially in the context of rising anti-Semitism, authoritarianism, and
security problems in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa;
Whereas the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement)
targeting Israel is a campaign that does not favor a two-state solution
and that seeks to exclude the State of Israel and the Israeli people
from the economic, cultural, and academic life of the rest of the world;
Whereas the BDS Movement targets not only the Government of Israel, but also
academic, cultural, and civil society institutions in Israel, as well as
individual Israeli citizens of all political persuasions, religions, and
ethnicities, and in some cases even Jews of other nationalities who
support Israel;
Whereas the BDS Movement does not recognize, and many of its supporters
explicitly deny, the right of the Jewish people to national self-
determination;
Whereas a founder of the BDS Movement has denied the right of the Jewish people
in their homeland, saying, ``We oppose a Jewish state in any part of
Palestine. No Palestinian, rational Palestinian, not a sell-out
Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.'';
Whereas university-based BDS efforts violate the core goals of the university
and global cultural development, which thrive on free and open exchange
and debate; and
Whereas the BDS Movement promotes principles of collective guilt, mass
punishment, and group isolation, which are destructive of prospects for
progress towards peace and a two-state solution: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions
Movement (BDS Movement) targeting Israel, including efforts to
target United States companies that are engaged in commercial
activities that are legal under United States law and all
efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel;
(2) affirms that the BDS Movement undermines the
possibility for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict by demanding concessions of one party
alone and encouraging the Palestinians to reject negotiations
in favor of international pressure;
(3) urges Israelis and Palestinians to return to direct
negotiations as the only way to achieve an end to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict;
(4) supports the full implementation of the United States-
Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-296;
128 Stat. 4075) and new efforts to enhance governmentwide,
coordinated United States-Israel scientific and technological
cooperation in civilian areas, such as with respect to energy,
water, agriculture, alternative fuel technology, civilian space
technology, and security, in order to counter the effects of
actions to boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel; and
(5) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution
to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states--a
democratic Jewish State of Israel and a viable democratic
Palestinian state--living side-by-side in peace, security, and
mutual recognition.
<all>