Obama Signs Congress anti-BS Law

As we have updated in earlier posts, the congressional legislation against the BSemites has been moving along nicely. This legislation is supposed to prevent any cooperation with companies supporting boycott in regards to commercial agreements signed between the United States and the EU. Now, this legislation has moved one step forward, as President Barack Obama has signed. See this Times of Israel report:

After a grueling legislative battle, US President Barack Obama signed into law a controversial trade measure that also contains landmark legislation combating the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement in Europe. 

But on Monday, Obama signed into law the so-called “fast track” authorization that will allow US trade negotiators to work out a long-awaited deal with Asian states known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Trade Promotion Authority legislation also contained the anti-BDS provisions, which make rejection of the phenomenon a top priority for US negotiators as they work on a more distant free trade agreement with the European Union. 

These guidelines, sponsors hope, will discourage European governments from participating in BDS activities by leveraging the incentive of free trade with the US.

The initiator of the bill, Rep. Peter Roskam, commented and praised the President's approval of the bill:

“This is an historic milestone in the fight against Israel’s enemies, as American opposition to insidious efforts to demonize and isolate the Jewish state is now the law of the land. The bipartisan bill enacted today conditions any free trade agreement with the European Union on its rejection of BDS,” said Rep. Peter Roskam, who, together with Rep. Juan Vargas sponsored one of two anti-BDS provisions in the law. 

“This will force companies like telecom giant Orange, which is partially owned by the French government, to think twice before engaging in economic warfare against Israel. No longer will these companies be able to freely attack a key US ally without consequence,” he added. “Nevertheless, what we accomplished today is just the beginning. As the BDS movement continues to evolve, so too must our response.” 

American Christian NPO Goes on the Offensive Against BS

If the previous legislation hasn't been enough, now the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is also on its way to passing anti-BS laws. See this Israel National News report:

The Christian Zionist NPO Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN) on Monday welcomed the adoption of anti-BDS resolutions it has pushed for at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and New York State Assembly. 

In the New York vote adopting the resolution that aims to fight the economic boycott movement against the Jewish state, PJTN President Laurie Cardoza-Moore traveled to the State Assembly to personally present Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky with a draft resolution. 

PJTN activists in Pennsylvania were also instrumental in having the draft resolution passed there as well, after Tennessee in April passed anti-BDS legislature followed by a similar move in Indiana. 

And if this isn't enough itself, the Christian NPO Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN) has called for fighting the BSemites in no less than 34 states!

But PJTN announced that this is just the beginning, as supporters of the group in 34 states throughout America have already started working to prepare anti-BDS motions in a wave of support for Israel. 

"The Jew-hating BDS movement is about to be hit by a tidal wave of support for Israel and the Jewish People," Cardoza-Moore said. "As proud Christian Zionists that represent millions of believers worldwide, we will stand as a firewall around the Jewish People and will ensure that no form of genocidal anti-Semitism be tolerated." 

"We call upon all Christians worldwide to join our movement and let the people of Israel know that they are not alone in their struggle. Mark my words: By the end of this year, what began as a pro-Israel resolution in Tennessee will be a national movement across the USA and around the world. We have already recruited 34 states, with the recent addition of New York and Pennsylvania and this is only the beginning."

Senate Anti-BS Law Passes Final Hurdles towards Legislation

Apart from the anti-BSemite initiatives adopted by various states, as we have been updating for quite a while, now the federal legislation is also on its way. Senate moved along the anti-BS law that is intended to ensure that disengagement from BS organizations be a top priority in the EU-US free trade negotiations. See this Times of Israel report:

After weeks of legislative drama, a trade bill containing provisions opposing the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel cleared its final legislative hurdle Wednesday afternoon. The anti-BDS language, passed as part of the controversial Trade Promotion Authority legislation, is expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama, who had pushed Congress to pass the trade bill as soon as possible. 

The anti-BDS provisions in the trade authorization were directed toward free trade talks between the US and the European Union. The provisions require US negotiators to make rejection of BDS a principal trade objective in Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations with the European Union. These guidelines, sponsors hope, will discourage European governments from participating in BDS activities by leveraging the incentive of free trade with the US.

Representative Peter Roksam, one of the initiators of the new law, praised the vote on Congress:

“Today, for the first time in nearly four decades, Congress sent legislation to the President’s desk to combat efforts to isolate and delegitimize the State of Israel,” wrote Roskam in a statement released shortly after the Senate vote. “The recent wave of boycotts originating in Europe, including French telecom company Orange’s decision last week to sever ties with Israel, demands a robust response from the United States. This is that response. The bipartisan TPA provisions I authored are simple: if you want free trade with the United States, you can’t boycott Israel.” 

“After today, discouraging economic warfare against Israel will be central to our free trade negotiations with the European Union,” he continued. “Congress will not be complicit in the marginalization of our ally Israel by watching these attacks from the sidelines. Instead, we have decided to fight back against the BDS movement and ensure the continued strength of the US-Israel relationship.”

As we have seen so many times before - the boycott is simply not working...

 

Israel Artist Line-Up

Ever since Robbie William poked the BS group in the eye with a sharp stick, the idea of an artistic boycott has been dead in the water.  There isn't much more to say except to list upcoming performances, following Art Garfunkel's sold out show at Bloomfield Stadium last week.

The immediate lineup includes Chris Brown (July), Maroon 5 (summer), Pharrell Williams (September), Bon Jovi (October), Demi Lovato (November), etc.

Swedish Supermarket Reverses Boycott

Under pressure from consumers and the Israeli embassy in Sweden, a national supermarket chain in Sweden, has backed out of a planned boycott of the sale of Israeli products. 

The boycott was canceled in response to a grassroots campaign by pro-Israel activists using social media.  According to Ynet, A Swedish businessman opened a Facebook page titled "Opposing the Boycott against Israel," which received 2,500 likes. Members of the public wrote to the supermarket chain's executives, voicing their opposition to the boycott and threatening a boycott of their own if the chain did not reverse its position.  So it did.

“We didn’t talk about the righteousness of Israel, rather we spoke in the name of fair trade and avoiding discrimination of any state,” [Israeli ambassador] Bachman said... "There was a great protest. A lot of people here are against boycotts [and] the supermarket’s executives were shocked by the volume of messages they received... The lesson I learned is that we must not, under absolutely no circumstances, give up, and we must launch a counter-campaign,” Bachman added.

Don't whine about boycotts.  If you find the one boycott in a thousand that actually passes, threaten to punish the boycotters.  It worked with Orange, it worked here too.

Former Spanish PM Slams BSemites and Hails Israel

It is not every day that a top-ranking European politician expresses so clearly his utter support for Israel. In and interview brought in the Jerusalem Post, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar slammed BS hypocrisy, hailed Israel, and called for the Jewish State's full integration into the West. We'll just let you enjoy Aznar's warm words yourself:

"I think BDS is an unfair, discriminatory movement based on a moral double standard that is, in the final analysis, anti-Semitic," Aznar told Maariv.

"Declaring its aim to put pressure on the Israel government, BDS is in fact trying to harm every Israeli citizen and not only the government. In reality what BDS wants is to make life in Israel intolerable so the Jewish nation will not be able to have a normal existence in its state. BDS does not only want to change the government's policy, it wants to empty the country of Jews," Aznar said.

Aznar continued to criticize the EU's policy towards Israel and companies operating inside the West Bank:

"People including the bureaucrats in the EU need to understand that companies that invest in the West Bank provide jobs and opportunities for the Palestinian nation," Aznar said, adding, "Getting companies to leave there [the West Bank] will not have a positive impact but just the opposite. Greater, not less, economic activity is required in the territories. The only way to create a Palestinian middle class is through investments and commerce."

"I think that governments must condemn all policy that discriminated unfairly against Israel. Such polices are not just unfair they are also idiotic. Israel is practically the laboratory of many innovations that the entire world enjoys, from high tech to health. Harming the connections with Israeli academics, scientists, artists and entrepreneurs, will have a negative impact on our culture and prosperity."

Finally, Aznar called for a closer inspection of BSemite activists, and wished for Israel's full integration in the West:

"I believe that the real motives of the BDS leaders should be revealed. Senior government officials and corporate executives should be made to know about the negative consequences of BDS, and a clear alternative narrative should be put forward," Aznar offered.

"My vision is for Israel to become an integral part of the Western world and for this to happen it needs to be a partner in the West's economic and security institutions," the former prime minister said.

In contrary to common belief, even European politicians are not consensual in the EU's policy towards Israel. What is crystal clear is that Israel's isolation is no more than a myth.

New York State Assembly Passes Anti-BS Resolution

Yet another state joins in on the ever-growing anti-BS avalanche, following Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, and Washington State.  This time, the State Assembly of the State of New York passed an anti-BS resolution, specifically noting the organization's hypocritical character and its undermining of Israel's right to exist. See this JPost report:

The resolution, which passed in a voice vote, stated that the assembly rejects the BDS movement and all activities in New York, which “undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution and the right of Israelis and Palestinians to self-determination.” 

“This Legislative Body is concerned that the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and its agenda are damaging to the causes of peace, justice, equality, democracy and human rights for all peoples in the Middle East,” it says.
The resolution states that the assembly opposes all attempts to isolate and delegitimize Israel, including, but not limited to, promoting economic, cultural and academic boycotts. 

It expresses concern about anti-Israel activities on college campuses, in the cultural sector and other areas, and points out that calls for academic boycotts against Israel have been condemned by more than 250 university presidents as violating academic freedom. 

“New Yorkers defend the inalienable right to free speech, [and] recognize that punitive economic measures targeting Israel undermine dialogue, economic cooperation and political reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, which is the necessary foundation for a lasting peace in the Middle East,” the resolution states. “The BDS movement’s policies and tactics negate and undermine the vibrant debate regarding the Israel-Palestinian relationship, which is based on a recognition of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State.”

The resolution points out that BSemites have been condemned at over 250 universities. What boycott, you ask? We are asking ourselves the exact same thing.

BS Activities Help Hamas, Says Gatestone Institute Commentator

Khaled Abu Toameh, in a commentary titled "BDS and Hamas: The New Partnership", explains wonderfully why BSemites are actually helping Hamas activists. And this help, recalls Abu Toameh, does not only translate into boycott or divestment, but its true intention is undermining the very existence of Israel. Just read his poignant words for yourself:

Hamas has found new allies: the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. 

Over the past few weeks, Hamas leaders have expressed deep satisfaction with the work of the BDS activists around the world. Hamas is convinced that the anti-Israel campaign will ultimately pave the way for the elimination of Israel. 

For Hamas, this is not just about boycotting or imposing sanctions against Israel. Rather, it is about delegitimizing and isolating Israel, and turning it into a rogue state that has no right to exist. 

That is why Hamas today believes that it shares a common goal with the BDS movement -- namely to destroy Israel. As far as Hamas is concerned, BDS is not about putting an end to Israeli "occupation," but about ending the existence of Israel.

Abu Toameh shows how Hamas openly expresses its hopes for the BSemite movement:

Here is what senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq had to say about the U.S. Administration's public opposition to the anti-Israel BDS campaign: "The attempts by the U.S. Administration to prevent the rise of the political, economic and academic boycott against Israel makes it complicit in the crimes and terror against the Palestinian people." 

Heaping praise on the BDS advocates and activists, the Hamas official openly admitted that the ultimate goal of the BDS campaign was to destroy Israel. "We call for escalating the campaign to isolate the occupation and end the existence of its usurper entity," he added.

So BSemites, what do you really want? Boycott, or perhaps a little more? 

Update: Grovelling CEO Fawns over Netanyahu

Since we last reported the Orange CEO's rapid about-turn, the grovelling CEO has arrived in Israel, where he fawned and pandered unabashedly.  Algemeiner reports:

Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, Richard said, “I regret deeply this controversy and I want to make totally clear that Orange as a company has never supported and will never support any kind of boycott against Israel.”

“We are doing business, we are doing communication, we are here to connect people, certainly not to participate in any kind of boycott,” he said. “Israel is a fantastic place to be in the digital industry and of course our will is to strengthen and to keep on investing here.”

"But sir, I beg of you..."

In other news, the Washington Post exposed that the Orange communications company is doing business in two occupied territories that were, somehow, left unmentioned when Richard took his 3-minute-long principled stand against Israel:  Ngorna-Karabakh (occupied by Armenia) and Western Sahara (occupied by Morocco).  Add hypocrisy and bigotry to the CEO's momentary lapse of judgement.

British BS Campaign Fails, German Anti-BS Campaign Succeeds

Two European celebrations on the same day.  In Britain, a BS effort to boycott the Israel Film Festival has failed.  Did we mention "again"?  Yes, again.  For the second time in so many years.  The festival will take place as planned, co-sponsored by the Israeli government via the Israeli Embassy in London, despite cries of woe from BSemites.

The Jerusalem Post reports:

[The festival's] organizers – including Anat Koren, Odelia Haroush and Patty Hochmann – hit back, maintaining that freedom of expression in the arts is something that “the British have worked so hard to defend.” They added that the festival is a showcase for the many voices of Israel, including Arab Israelis and Palestinians, as well as religious and secular groups.  "An attempt to block the sharing of creative pursuits and the genuine exchange of ideas and values is a disappointing reaction to a festival that sets out to open up lines of communication and understanding,” the organizers said.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Arkush, president of the Board of Deputies, said that the boycotters seem to have learned nothing from the Tricycle Theater debacle last summer.  "Their blinkered, bigoted approach is fixated solely on Israel, the only liberal democracy in the Middle East and the country they love to hate,” he said.  “They should be looking at ways to export peaceful solutions, not import conflict.”

The spokesman of the movie theaters in which the festival was to be held rejected the notion of a boycott in a "skilfully crafted response":  “We have not previously considered asking questions about the funding of a festival booked at one of our cinemas, and we do not consider booking a festival as any kind of political comment.” 

Not far from there, in Cologne Germany, the Israeli embassy and its supporters managed to squash an exhibit by the self-hating group "Breaking the Silence" which spreads blood libels about Israeli soldiers.  Ynet reports:

As a result of the Israeli pressure, the Breaking the Silence exhibition in Cologne was canceled. The other events related to Palestinian issues were also removed from the jubilee year program and will be held in a separate framework.
 
The director of the embassy's public relations said: "Our activity has proven itself and we have succeeded in canceling the exhibition. We did it with the help of various parties who expressed their resentment at such an event taking place during this special year. The embassy is marking the jubilee anniversary of Israeli-German relations in various events across the country, and it is of great importance to counter attempts to add events that have no connection with the jubilee."  

 It looks like Brits will be flocking by the thousands to see Israeli films.  It looks like Germans will not be flocking to see anti-Israel propaganda.

Google Chairman Praises Israeli Start-Up Economy

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and now the executive chairman of the company, visited Israel and praised the country continuously. Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page that during his meeting with Schmidt, the Google boss noted "that Israel is second in the world to Silicon Valley in the number of high-tech start-ups, with more than 6,000 established in the past decade".

"Israel's impact is immense".
Eric Schmidt

In a lecture before hundreds of students in the Weizmann Institute, Schmidt explained why Google is constantly investing in Israel: 

"Israel is booming in terms of entrepreneurship because you have a culture that allows you to challenge authority and question everything. You don't follow the rules," Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt said on Sunday in an address to hundreds of students and researchers at the Weizmann Institute. Schmidt is currently on a short visit to Israel.

"The impact Israelis are having on science and technology is immense, so that's why I'm here and why I'm investing here," the Google chief said.

Boycott? Divestment? BSemites keep dreaming. In reality, as we can see, the investment in the Israeli economy is thriving.

UK Business Secretary Slams BSemites

Assuming his new post as secretary of the Business Ministry in the UK, Sajid Javid took time to put BSemites in their place. See this JPost report:

Newly appointed business secretary Sajid Javid condemned Britain’s National Union of Students on Monday for supporting a boycott of Israel, declaring bluntly that the group’s recent move to join the BDS movement was not only an isolated view, but one that the government and most of the country did not share. 

Addressing UK Israel Business – the bilateral chamber of commerce between the two nations – at its annual awards dinner, Javid added that the student union’s rejection of a motion calling for a boycott of Islamic State last year “spoke volumes.” 

To prolonged applause, he added, “Today I talk of the idea that underpins the entire political philosophy that I hold – that of free enterprise. It simply does not make sense to say, ‘I believe in the free market,’ so let me be very clear: I do not believe in boycotts, nor, I am proud to say, does my party, my prime minister or, for the most, part my country.”

Javid continued to talk also about the commercial ties between Israel and the UK, leaving no doubt as to their robustness:

“My department... will be working hard to boost Anglo-Israeli trade and investment, and I as business secretary will do anything I can to support and promote it,” he said. 

Earlier, he had described the most recent period of trading between the two countries as a “golden era,” adding that what really excited him “are the possibilities for the years that lie ahead.”

So - as usual - Israeli economic ties are much stronger than whiny BSemites. Go Sajid!

Remorseful Orange CEO Comes Grovelling to Israel

The backlash to French cellphone company Orange's almost-non-boycott has proven furious.  Now its CEO has folded his tail between his legs and is on his way to Israel to say how sorry he truly is.

The company's embarrassment started last week when its CEO, Stephane Richard, talked his mouth off in front of an Arab audience and proposed that he would, if he could, cease business with Israel.  Not that he will, because he can't.  But that, in a parallel universe in which he could, he would, perhaps.

Although this was less of a threat and more of a thought experiment, the comments provoked outrage.  And like all BS efforts that encounter any resistance, the BSemite struck a quick retreat.  The Jerusalem Post reports:

"In the space of four days, Richard allegedly supported the idea of boycotting Israel, retracted by claiming Orange would like to sever its ties with Israel on a commercial basis only, and then pulled back again by announcing how Orange “loves Israel” and that it has no intention of leaving."

"Please don't hurt me..."

Since then, France's foreign ministry, a large shareholder of the company, has condemned all boycotts against Israel.  Richard  tried to meet the Israeli ambassador in France but was rebuffed.  Netanyahu responded:   "If he wants to explain, he can come to Israel to do so."

And that is exactly what the humbled CEO is now doing:  Flying to Israel to "clear up the misunderstanding." According to Algemeiner, Richard has seen the light:

“Orange does not support any form of boycott, in Israel or anywhere else in the world. … Let me make it very clear that the Orange Group is in Israel to stay,” said CEO Stephane Richard, adding that he “sincerely regrets” the recent controversy.

To him and all other BSemites we say:  "Booh"!  That should suffice to scare them away.

South Carolina Takes Lead in Anti-BS Wave

As we have been updating for some time, the anti-BS legislation wave in the US is growing constantly.  First  Tennessee rejected BS, then Indiana rejected BS, next came Illinois, and most recently Washington State rejected BS.

Now South Carolina has unanimously passed a bill preventing public funding to groups or organizations promoting boycott. See this JPost report:

South Carolina's governor has signed into law a bill to stop efforts to boycott, divest and sanction Israel on Thursday afternoon, in a first for the nation on a statewide level. 

The bill makes no mention of Israel directly, but prevents public entities from contracting with businesses engaging in the “boycott of a person or an entity based in or doing business with a jurisdiction with whom South Carolina can enjoy open trade.” 

The premise of the law is that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, colloquially known as BDS, discriminates against the people of Israel and weakens the economy of South Carolina.

Governor Nikki Haley

The report continues:

South Carolina Representative Alan Clemmons, who pioneered the legislation, commended Governor Nikki Haley for swiftly signing the bill. 

“Discriminatory boycotts have historically been used as a form of economic warfare to forward the purposes of hatred and bigotry. The tactics employed by the Nazis serve as a poignant example,” Clemmons said in a prepared statement. “In this day and age, no group better demonstrates this fact than the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in its effort to harm our great ally, Israel.”

While BSemites claim that there are accomplishments to their hypocritical organization, we see that actually the contrary is true. Go South Carolina!

"BDS Efforts Add Up to Little More than a Mosquito"

Despite BS failures at FIFA, despite anti-BDS victories in U.S. courts and in Congress, despite artist, after artist performing in Israel in recent weeks, panic-mongers continue to worry about the BS success that is "right around the corner".

In an op-ed for the Jerusalem Post, veteran columnist Herb Keinon comes down hard on Jewish and Israeli voices that provide free advertisement for the BS group:

"Right now, all these BDS efforts add up to little more than a mosquito – an annoying buzz that bites once in a while and draws a drop of blood, but not much else, and is by no means fatal...  One thing worth remembering is that we are a powerful state, not a weak shtetl dependent for its bread on a farmer down the road whose boycott would starve everyone out...

Israel is a strong country with a robust economy and goods, products and services that others actually need and want. It is a country that can withstand a co-op in Olympia, Washington, that doesn’t want to stock Israeli products, and it is a state that has proven it has the diplomatic ability to counter moves to oust it from various world bodies.

For every store like the one in Washington state, there are hundreds more that want and are more than willing to stock what we supply. We overamplify the one, and play down the significance of the others, to our own detriment.

For every Lauryn Hill, there are more OneRepublics and Robbie Williams. And for every move Jabril Rajoub cooks up to oust us from an international forum, Israel has the diplomatic wherewithal – as it has now proven – to deflect it.  All that needs to be internalized before we fret over BDS to distraction."

Commentator on Wall Street Journal: Congress Can Fight BS

Illinois is one of our favorite states, that we have already seen. And now, just to keep on the good terms, Republican representative in Illinois, Peter Roskam, has published a commentary on the Wall Street Journal encouraging Congress to take action against those annoying BSemites. We'll just let you enjoy his words yourselves:

The U.S. cannot allow its firms to be pressured to leave Israel or risk their commercial operations in Europe. This threatens not only our ally Israel, but the health of our own economy. 

The good news is we now have a chance to fight back against this harmful campaign. Congress is currently debating bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, which stipulates key American objectives in free-trade negotiations with the EU. Included in these priorities is language I co-authored with Rep. Juan Vargas (D., Calif.), Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) and Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) instructing U.S. negotiators to discourage our prospective European trade partners from participating in boycott, divestment and sanctions. 

If these countries want free trade with the U.S., they can’t engage in politically motivated boycotts against Israel. These same principles were successfully negotiated into U.S. free-trade agreements with Bahrain and Oman in the mid-2000s, prompting both countries to end their boycotts of Israel. 

Members of Congress from both parties agree that preserving Israel’s economic stability is a strategic imperative for the U.S. We must learn from the lessons of the past and take threats to Israel seriously. We must not be fooled by those marketing BDS as anything but blatant discrimination against the Jewish state. And we must seize the historic opportunity to push back forcefully against the BDS movement to ensure the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Go Roskam! Go Illinois!