* Boycott Israel Resolution fails. Next: the Boycott Resolution *
[Headline from DRJ]
* SEE THIS COMMENT RE HEADLINE *
A comment by Paul Montagu:
This is good news. The anti-Semites in the House lose badly.
The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to formally oppose the Palestinian-backed movement to boycott Israel, over the objections of Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
The measure, H.Res.246 opposes “efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement [BDS] targeting Israel,” according to the bill’s text. BDS — a movement which began in 2005 — calls for groups to apply economic pressure to Israel to achieve Palestinian independence in the Middle East. The Senate passed a similar bill amid concerns that the legislation violates the First Amendment.
The bill passed the House Tuesday 398–17 with five members voting “present” to abstain from the vote. Sixteen Democrats opposed the bill, including Omar and Tlaib. Just one Republican voted against the measure, Rep. Thomas Massie.
Rep. Ilahn Omar might have anticipated this result because last week she joined with Rep. Rashida Tlaib and with civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (an Israel supporter and a co-sponsor of HR 246), to file a Resolution “affirming the use of boycotts as constitutionally-protected free speech and a tactic for effecting social change:”
The resolution from Omar — who’s faced repeated criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for noting the power of the Israel lobby — does not mention Israel, Palestine, or the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement known as BDS.
Still, CodePink, in an email to supporters, framed the new measure as “a counterweight” to the bipartisan H.R. 246, a pending measure that seeksto oppose “efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel and the global boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement targeting Israel.”
As such, the group said, having Rep. Lewis as part of the resolution making clear the right to engage in political boycotts “sends a clear and direct statement that the right to boycott must be protected, regardless of one’s position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This is a game-changer!”
My thanks to Paul for his comment alerting me to this.
— DRJ
AOC voted with Tlaib and Omar, but Pressley broke with her squad-mates and voted in favor.
Amash voted “Present”, which does him no credit.
Dave (1bb933) — 7/24/2019 @ 10:48 amBy the way, the resolution in question was to oppose sanctions against Israel.
It was not a “Boycott Israel” resolution, and it did not “fail”.
Dave (1bb933) — 7/24/2019 @ 10:50 amI think there are couple of laws already on the books with severe penalties for refusing to do business with Israel, and a special agency created to enforce them. https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/enforcement/oac#whatsprohibited
Poor Ilhan, she never stood a chance.
nk (dbc370) — 7/24/2019 @ 11:03 amI agree my wording is imprecise. I am glad you added that and I will add a note to the post. But I still like that headline.
DRJ (15874d) — 7/24/2019 @ 11:09 amOMG FAKE NEWS
(j/k)
Dave (1bb933) — 7/24/2019 @ 11:24 amBut I won’t say that Capitol Hill is Israeli-occupied territory.
nk (dbc370) — 7/24/2019 @ 11:47 amTrump might take it literally and bulldoze it to make room for Israeli settlements.
nk (dbc370) — 7/24/2019 @ 11:48 amHeh. Well done.
DRJ (15874d) — 7/24/2019 @ 12:17 pmWe will have to wait for netanhayu to be convicted of his criminal charges on corruption.
lany (da87c1) — 7/24/2019 @ 12:36 pmYou’re welcome, DRJ.
The resolution that Omar pushed was just about boycotts in general, which is reasonable absent any context, but she has an agenda to promote BDS, which is anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic. David French tore her a new one for her support of HR 496, which is illegal if corporations and institutions use the resolution as a cover for BDS efforts.
And AOC was her usual obnoxious divisive self after she lost on HR 246.
Some on the right are taking her “concern” as a threat that more violence will break out, but I think she left enough wiggle room to leave it open to interpretation. I took her entire quote to mean that she was putting it out there that the failed House resolution could foment violence, which is a crock. It’s a non-binding resolution that has no effect on our free speech rights.
Paul Montagu (dbd3cc) — 7/24/2019 @ 3:42 pm