Republicans oppose Democratic attempts to boycott Israel.

House legislation would prevent Biden ⁤admin from labeling Israeli goods made in ‍contested areas

‌ Republicans in Congress are taking⁤ action​ to protect Israel from discriminatory boycotts. Just weeks after⁢ Senate Democrats opened the door for the⁤ United‌ States to discriminate against ⁢Israeli⁤ products, Rep. ‌Claudia Tenney (R., N.Y.) is leading the charge​ with legislation that⁢ would prevent the Biden administration from rescinding an executive order. ‌This‍ order ensures that products made in contested ​areas of⁣ Israel, like the West Bank and ⁣Gaza Strip,‍ are properly labeled‍ as “made in ‍Israel.”

⁤Supporters of the anti-Semitic ⁢Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement have long ‍sought ‍to remove the “made in Israel” label from products manufactured in⁣ settlements. They argue that these areas⁢ are not technically part of Israel. Tenney’s Anti-BDS Labeling Act would effectively⁤ prevent⁣ the U.S.⁣ government ‌from‌ segregating products made in these‌ territories.

This legislation, which is expected to receive widespread support in the Republican-controlled House,​ comes on the heels of Senate Democrats rejecting a measure that ⁤would ​have blocked the Federal Trade Commission from penalizing products produced by Jews living in contested territories. The Biden administration‍ also faced criticism for cutting all U.S. funding to ​Israeli research organizations operating in Jewish areas ⁢of⁤ the West Bank ⁢and Gaza Strip, a‍ move praised by BDS advocates. ‌Congressional Republicans ‍view both of ​these actions as‌ attempts to isolate ⁢Israel.

Tenney’s bill addresses a longstanding issue in U.S.-Israel relations. The Obama administration, for example, stopped​ labeling goods‌ produced in the West Bank as “made in Israel” in 2016, aiming to undermine Israel’s ‍claims​ on‌ the​ territory. Last month, the ​Biden administration used a similar rationale to cut off ‍funds for Israeli scientific organizations in contested ‍areas. The⁢ labeling⁤ issue resurfaced during a Senate debate over penalizing foreign companies for‌ mislabeling ⁣their goods’ country of ​origin, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R., ​Texas) pushing an amendment to protect Israeli ​goods, which was ‍ultimately rejected by Democrats.

Tenney’s latest measure directly addresses the issue by prohibiting ⁤the ⁣Biden administration from using federal funds to reverse a Trump-era order that requires products made in Israeli-controlled areas to be⁢ marked as originating from Israel. This would reinforce Israeli control over the areas and prevent further actions undermining Israel’s sovereignty.

⁣ “The Anti-BDS Labeling Act ensures an accurate representation of products that originate from Israel, Gaza, or Judea and Samaria,” Tenney stated.‌ “This not only upholds existing U.S. policy but also prevents the BDS movement from arbitrarily discriminating⁢ against goods ⁤made⁢ in Israeli-controlled areas.”

​ Tenney emphasized that House Republicans are ​committed⁤ to standing⁤ against any efforts to delegitimize Israel and to preserving the labeling rule without alteration.
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