Pulaski Times

U.S. Senators John Boozman, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, Bill Hagerty, Thom Tillis, and Ted Cruz have introduced the Anti-BDS Labeling Act. This legislation aims to prevent the Biden-Harris administration from altering existing guidelines that require goods produced in Israeli-controlled areas to be labeled as "Made in Israel." The proposed change by the administration is seen as potentially aiding the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israeli companies and products. The bill has already been passed in the House of Representatives and was introduced there by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

"The BDS movement seeks to isolate Israel – our strongest and closest ally in the Middle East. The United States should have no part in any policies that embolden activists seeking to undermine Israeli enterprises and potentially fuel antisemitism. I’m proud to join Sen. Cotton and our colleagues on this legislation to guard the Jewish State from efforts to delegitimize it," stated Boozman.

Senator Cotton added, "Left-wing activists abuse country-of-origin labels in order to stigmatize products made in Israel. Our bill will defend the integrity of the Jewish State by ensuring that Israeli products may proudly bear the label ‘Made in Israel.’"

Bill Hagerty expressed his support by saying, "The Trump Administration ended the U.S. government’s discriminatory treatment of Israeli goods, dealing a heavy blow to the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. I am pleased to support this important legislation to codify in law U.S. opposition to discriminatory economic warfare targeting the Jewish state of Israel."

Congresswoman Tenney remarked on the legislation's importance: "For years, the anti-Semitic BDS movement has sought to cripple the Israeli economy and arbitrarily discriminate against goods made in Israeli-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria. The Anti-BDS Labeling Act reinforces U.S. policy, ensuring that goods produced in Israel are accurately labeled while blocking federal funds from supporting the discriminatory BDS movement. This legislation reaffirms our commitment to our greatest ally, Israel."

The text of this legislation is available for public review.

In historical context, during 1995 under President Clinton's administration, a policy was enacted requiring "Made in West Bank" labels for certain Israeli goods despite these being treated as "articles of Israel" for trade purposes by the U.S government. In 2016, President Obama's administration reiterated these labeling guidelines as part of broader opposition efforts towards Israeli policies.

The current bill aims at counteracting such attempts which could undermine Israel's territorial sovereignty.