A resolution opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel.

III 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 120 Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 25, 2019 Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. PORTMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel. Whereas the democratic Jewish State of Israel is a key ally and strategic partner of the United States; Whereas, since Israel’s founding in 1948, Congress has re- peatedly expressed our Nation’s unwavering commitment to the security of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; Whereas United States policy has long sought to bring peace to the Middle East and recognized that both the Israeli and Palestinian people should be able to live in safe and sovereign states, free from fear and violence, with mutual recognition; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Mar 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR120.IS SR120 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •SRES 120 IS Whereas support for peace between the Israelis and Palestin- ians has long-standing bipartisan support in Congress; Whereas it is the long-standing policy of the United States that a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian con- flict should come through direct negotiations between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with the support of countries in the region and around the world; Whereas it is a hallmark of American democracy for citizens to petition the United States Government in favor of or against United States foreign policy; Whereas cooperation between Israel and the United States is of great importance, especially in the context of rising anti-Semitism, authoritarianism, and security problems in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa; Whereas the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement) targeting Israel is a cam- paign that does not favor a two-state solution and that seeks to exclude the State of Israel and the Israeli people from the economic, cultural, and academic life of the rest of the world; Whereas the BDS Movement targets not only the Govern- ment of Israel, but also academic, cultural, and civil soci- ety institutions in Israel, as well as individual Israeli citi- zens of all political persuasions, religions, and ethnicities, and in some cases even Jews of other nationalities who support Israel; Whereas the BDS Movement does not recognize, and many of its supporters explicitly deny, the right of the Jewish people to national self-determination; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Mar 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR120.IS SR120 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •SRES 120 IS Whereas a founder of the BDS Movement has denied the right of the Jewish people in their homeland, saying, ‘‘We oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No Pales- tinian, rational Palestinian, not a sell-out Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.’’; Whereas university-based BDS efforts violate the core goals of the university and global cultural development, which thrive on free and open exchange and debate; and Whereas the BDS Movement promotes principles of collective guilt, mass punishment, and group isolation, which are destructive of prospects for progress towards peace and a two-state solution: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, 2 and Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement) tar- 3 geting Israel, including efforts to target United 4 States companies that are engaged in commercial 5 activities that are legal under United States law and 6 all efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel; 7 (2) affirms that the BDS Movement under- 8 mines the possibility for a negotiated solution to the 9 Israeli-Palestinian conflict by demanding concessions 10 of one party alone and encouraging the Palestinians 11 to reject negotiations in favor of international pres- 12 sure; 13 (3) urges Israelis and Palestinians to return to 14 direct negotiations as the only way to achieve an end 15 to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; 16 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Mar 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR120.IS SR120 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •SRES 120 IS (4) supports the full implementation of the 1 United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2 2014 (Public Law 113–296; 128 Stat. 4075) and 3 new efforts to enhance governmentwide, coordinated 4 United States-Israel scientific and technological co- 5 operation in civilian areas, such as with respect to 6 energy, water, agriculture, alternative fuel tech- 7 nology, civilian space technology, and security, in 8 order to counter the effects of actions to boycott, di- 9 vest from, or sanction Israel; and 10 (5) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated 11 solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting 12 in two states—a democratic Jewish State of Israel 13 and a viable democratic Palestinian state—living 14 side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recogni- 15 tion. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Mar 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR120.IS SR120 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS