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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPro-Israel Activists Aim To Block Boycott Movement With Legislation
AIPAC seeks to slow BDS.Sept. 9, 2014, at 5:17 p.m.
The most powerful pro-Israel lobbying organization, AIPAC, is working on drafting legislation that would aim to counter the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, two sources familiar with the situation told BuzzFeed News.
The legislation, which has not yet been introduced and has been in the process of being drafted for months, would aim to prevent U.S. companies from participating in the campaign without infringing on Americans First Amendment rights to political speech. It would also try to make the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership being negotiated between the U.S. and E.U. conditional on whether the E.U. takes action to stop BDS.
The biggest provisions would be authorizing states and local governments to divest from companies deemed to be participating in BDS; denial of federal contracts to such companies; and threatening the conditioning of the US-EU free trade pact on the EU taking action to stop BDS activities within its jurisdictions, said a Republican foreign policy adviser familiar with the legislation. The bill, the adviser said, originated with a top aide to Illinois Senator Mark Kirk and has now been expanded by AIPAC, which is working with House and Senate offices on the draft.
This legislation could really change the global dynamic with respect to BDS in effect, its a boycott of those who boycott, the adviser said. It applies the successes we learned from Iran sanctions and applies them to those who seek Israels political destruction.
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http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/pro-israel-activists-aim-to-block-boycott-movement-with-legi#4f6din6
Response to Purveyor (Original post)
1000words This message was self-deleted by its author.
ann---
(1,933 posts)cuddly little pro-israel politicians. They'll do whatever Nutandyahoo wants.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Purveyor
(29,876 posts)Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)I'm just not certain it'll be in the form you think
justabob
(3,069 posts)Am I reading this right? This legislation is aimed at curbing the freedom of speech of American companies boycotting Israel? If so, wouldn't that become an issue with corporate personhood? I mean I do not want AIPAC to have any say so over what American companies do, but at the same time wouldn't this legislation undercut the idea that corps have the same freedoms as breathing people?
4now
(1,596 posts)The Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement is getting bigger everyday and this kind of attempted legislation will only help the movement.
End Israeli apartheid.
Boycott, Divest, Sanction.
http://www.bdsmovement.net/