The US Senate Finance Committee has unanimously voted in favor of an amendment to discourage European participation in the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.
The vote came as the state of Israel marked its 67th anniversary.
The voted amendment is linked to any free trade agreement between the U.S. and Europe (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that the two sides are negotiating.
While the language of the amendment does not directly specify punitive action toward countries that boycott Israel, the implication is that US-EU. free trade relations are conditional upon European countries abstaining from the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions (BDS), a movement launched in 2005 by pro-Palestinians activists to stop doing business with Israel.
The senate committee's amendment specifically targets an EU decision to cut funding for Israeli settlements. In 2013, the European Commission submitted policy guidelines that required any Israeli entity seeking economic cooperation or funding from the EU to file a declaration asserting it is not linked to the West Bank, East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.
Another Senate amendment passed a week ago would require the executive to report the participation of foreign companies in BDS activities.
“We may not agree with every Israeli policy, but we cannot allow our potential trading partners in the EU to fall prey to efforts that threaten Israel’s existence,” said Senator Ben Cardin (Democrat from Maryland) member of the finance committee and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who authored the amendment.
“Economic tools and trade agreements have been used throughout world history to move governments and change policy, but when these actions seek to delegitimize a country’s right to exist, we need to draw a line,” he said.
The House of Representatives also passed a similar legislation.
“I strongly support free trade negotiations with the EU, but we must also confront the disturbing, rising tide of BDS activity from countries across Europe,” said Rep. Peter Roskam (Republican from Illinois), who introduced the provision.
“This measure will make combating these boycotts a principal trade objective of the United States in our negotiations with the EU and send a clear message that countries seeking free trade with the United States cannot participate in politically motivated economic warfare against Israel.”
Several lawmakers described EU policy as the latest form of discrimination against Israel. “From the time it was founded, Israel has been the target of a lot of attacks,” said Senator Rob Portman (Republican from Ohio), a co-sponsor of Cardin's original bill. “From military or terrorist groups, but now there’s also this other attack. And in a way it's more pernicious because it is economic warfare.”
Senator Chuck Schumer (Democrat from New York) said it was “appalling” that E.U. members boycott Israel but not other countries in the region with poor human rights records. “They just pick out Israel. Even though Israel is a democracy and has far greater provisions for human rights and protections of all people than any of the surrounding countries do,” he said.
Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat from Oregon) described the European policy as anti-Semitic. “As the son of parents who fled Nazi Germany in the '30s, I have been troubled by the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and around the world,” he said.
He continued, “We shouldn’t let American trade policy be used in any kind of fashion that would in some ways show a tolerance for that kind of anti-Semitism."