Israel Anti-Boycott Act

Israel Anti-Boycott Act

This bill prohibits participation by certain entities and individuals in boycotts or requests for boycotts imposed by international governmental organizations (i.e., the United Nations and the European Union).

Specifically, the bill applies to covered persons the prohibition of specified actions in compliance with or in support of a boycott against a country that is friendly to the United States and that is not itself the object of a U.S. boycott. The bill defines a covered person as a domestic concern, the U.S. government or a state government, or a representative or official of such domestic concern or government. The bill also adds to the list of specified prohibited actions the act of furnishing information to any foreign country or international governmental organization that furthers an imposed boycott.

Under current law, a person who violates the prohibitions against such boycotts may be subject to a monetary fine or imprisonment; however, the bill removes imprisonment as a potential penalty for certain violations.

Bill 117 HR 6940, also known as the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The main purpose of this bill is to oppose the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The BDS movement is a global campaign that calls for economic and political pressure on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories and grant equal rights to Palestinian citizens.

The Israel Anti-Boycott Act seeks to prohibit US companies from participating in boycotts against Israel initiated by foreign governments or international organizations. It also aims to protect US companies from being coerced into participating in such boycotts. The bill would impose penalties on companies that comply with boycotts against Israel, including fines and potential loss of government contracts.

Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to protect Israel, a key ally of the United States, from economic harm and delegitimization. They believe that the BDS movement unfairly singles out Israel and undermines its right to exist as a sovereign state. Opponents of the bill, however, argue that it infringes on free speech rights and stifles legitimate criticism of Israeli policies. As of now, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act is still under consideration in Congress and has not yet been passed into law. It has sparked a heated debate among lawmakers, advocacy groups, and the public about the balance between protecting Israel and upholding free speech rights. It remains to be seen how this bill will progress and what impact it may have on US-Israel relations and the broader debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.