TITLE: Condemning the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and its activities to spread anti-Semitism in Texas.

SUMMARY: Condemning the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and its activities to spread anti-Semitism in Texas.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The State of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, is a great friend and ally of the United States of America, and Texas and Israel have a long history of friendship in support of each other's interests; and WHEREAS, Texas has signed multiple cooperative agreements with Israel that have increased our connections and interactions in the areas of business, government, art, culture, and education, and elected Texas officials have been making mission trips to Israel since 2003; and WHEREAS, Despite previously expressed support from the Lone Star State, there have been increasing incidents of anti-Semitism around the world and in Texas, and the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is one of the main vehicles for spreading anti-Semitism and for advocating the elimination of the Jewish state; and WHEREAS, The preponderance of anti-Israel activities and the promotion of the BDS movement, in Texas communities in general and on university campuses specifically, have resulted in threats against Jewish students and have deliberately interfered with the learning environment of all students, particularly in the negative impact of these activities on student programming related to the State of Israel and politics in the Middle East; and WHEREAS, The call of the BDS campaign for academic boycotts has been condemned as a violation of the bedrock principle of academic freedom by many of our nation's largest academic associations, hundreds of university presidents, and a number of other leading scholars; and WHEREAS, Elected representatives of Texas defend the inalienable right to free speech and understand that the goals and activities of BDS campaigns in Texas are harmful to the state's relationships with its Jewish citizens and with Israel and have a deleterious impact on the educational environment; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby condemn the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and its activities to spread anti-Semitism in Texas; and, be it further RESOLVED, That activities that contribute, directly or indirectly, to the denial, violation, or delegitimization of any people's academic freedom, including, but not limited to, promotion of academic boycotts by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel, be denounced; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and its agenda be considered inherently antithetical and deeply damaging to the causes of peace, justice, equality, democracy, and human rights for all peoples in the Middle East; and, be it further RESOLVED, That support for the State of Israel be reaffirmed and that the Jewish people be recognized as indigenous to the land of Israel and that they be supported in their right to engage in lawful acts of self-defense.