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.