The Algemeiner reports: The anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is an “insidious” phenomenon that must be tackled head-on, an Illinois congressman who co-authored a new anti-BDS bill told The Algemeiner on Monday.
“It’s unfair and it’s gratuitous,” Republican Peter Roskam said of the BDS movement. “And I think that there is recognition in Congress that a strong Israel is good for the United States, and we want a strong and stable partner in the Middle East. So we want to do everything we can to protect Israel.”
Earlier this month, Roskam and Democrat Juan Vargas of California introduced the “Protecting Israel Against Economic Discrimination Act” — the purpose of which, according to its text, is to “amend the Export Administration Act of 1979 to include in the prohibitions on boycotts against allies of the United States boycotts fostered by international governmental organizations against Israel and to direct the Export-Import Bank of the United States to oppose boycotts against Israel.” This is a companion bill to legislation introduced in the Senate in September by Republican Rob Portman of Ohio and Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland.