Opposing Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement Targeting Israel

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bipartisan solution opposing the boycott of Israel and supporting a two-state solution.

I want to thank Chairman Engel for his excellent leadership on this important issue and Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer for bringing this resolution to the floor.

With this bill and 349 cosponsors, it is very clear that Members of both parties support our vital ally, Israel, the leading democracy in the Middle East, because our countries share common interests and fundamental values, and Israel's security is key to America's security--to fighting Hezbollah, Hamas, PIJ, and global terror.

However, the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, BDS, Movement seeks to delegitimize Israel and deny its right to exist as a Jewish state.

As Mr. Suozzi, my colleague, just so aptly read, the founder of BDS, Omar Barghouti, said it very clearly: ``Definitely, most definitely, 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.''

That exactly captures what we are fighting here today. There are few clearer examples of bias and double standards than the BDS movement. No other democratic country faces a global boycott.

But BDS is also fundamentally incompatible with a two-state solution, which I strongly support. BDS seeks to punish only Israel, and it rejects direct negotiations in favor of unilateral strategy. That is why it is so important that Congress goes on record opposing BDS and other harmful efforts to single out and delegitimize Israel.

Standing up for the U.S.-Israel relationship should not be a partisan issue. That is why the members of the Problem Solvers Caucus are proud to support this resolution.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. This resolution was introduced by our colleague Congressman Brad Schneider, along with Congressman Lee Zeldin, Chairman Jerry Nadler, and Congresswoman Ann Wagner.

They have all done an excellent job. Nothing in this resolution would prevent anyone, in any way, from being able to engage in free speech. That is not what this is about, and we must not allow false attacks on Israel.

Mr. Speaker, today, we must continue to make sure that confronting biased anti-Semitism and supporting a two-state solution remain bipartisan priorities.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source