IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 402 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding politically 

motivated acts of boycott, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2015 

Mr. ROYCE (for himself and Mr. ENGEL) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding politically motivated acts of boycott, divestment from, 

and sanctions against Israel, and for other purposes. 

Whereas in 1945, the Arab League began a boycott of Jewish 

goods and services in the British controlled mandate territory of Palestine; 

Whereas in 1948, following the war establishing Israel’s independence, the boycott was formalized against the state of 

Israel and broadened to include non-Israelis who maintain economic relations with Israel or who are perceived 

to support it; 

Whereas the United States has historically been at the forefront of international efforts to end enforcement of the 

boycott and to seek the Arab League’s revocation of it, 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 402 IH 

including through Congress passing laws making it illegal 

for United States companies to cooperate with the boycott and authorizing the imposition of civil and criminal 

penalties against United States violators; 

Whereas the United States has also opposed the Arab League 

Boycott of Israel by ensuring through free trade agreements with Bahrain and Oman that such countries no 

longer participate in the boycott; 

Whereas the United States ensured that as a condition of 

membership in the World Trade Organization that Saudi 

Arabia no longer enforces the secondary or tertiary elements of the boycott; 

Whereas in 2005, elements of Palestinian civil society issued 

a call for a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) 

campaign against Israel, coordinated by the Palestinian 

BDS National Committee (BNC); 

Whereas European companies have taken measures to restrict business with Israeli companies, raising the prospect that they are engaging in politically motivated acts 

of boycott, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel; 

Whereas the European Union remains Israel’s largest trading 

partner, accounting for one-third of Israel’s total trade, 

and despite its small size, Israel remains one of the European Union’s top trading partners in the Middle East; 

Whereas Secretary of State John F. Kerry said in 2014, ‘‘I 

believe that we need to stand together with a single voice 

to reject any of the arbitrary unwarranted boycotts of 

Israel. For more than 30 years, I have staunchly, loudly, 

unapologetically opposed boycotts of Israel—and I will 

continue to oppose those boycotts of Israel. That will 

never change.’’; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 402 IH 

Whereas multiple United States State legislatures have enacted measures to confront politically motivated acts of 

boycott, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel; 

Whereas, on April 21, 2015, Tennessee became the first 

State legislature to formally condemn the BDS movement 

against Israel; 

Whereas in May 2015, Indiana passed a nonbinding resolution opposing boycotts of Israel; 

Whereas in May 2015, Illinois passed anti-BDS legislation 

that divests its pension funds from foreign companies 

that boycott Israel; 

Whereas, on June 4, 2015, South Carolina passed anti-BDS 

legislation banning public entities from contracting with 

companies engaged in certain kinds of boycotts; 

Whereas, on June 18, 2015, the New York State Assembly 

passed a resolution rejecting the BDS movement and reaffirming its support for Israel; and 

Whereas these politically motivated acts of boycott, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel represent a concerted effort to extract concessions from Israel outside of 

direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, 

and undermines efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state 

solution: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) opposes politically motivated acts of boycott, 

3 divestment from, and sanctions against Israel; 

4 (2) calls on the Administration to increase the 

5 use of its voice, vote, and influence in international 

6 organizations and other appropriate international foVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 Jul 30, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR402.IH HR402

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 402 IH 

1 rums to actively oppose politically motivated acts of 

2 boycott, divestment from, and sanctions against 

3 Israel; 

4 (3) supports efforts by State legislatures to 

5 enact measures that oppose politically motivated acts 

6 of boycott, divestment from, and sanctions against 

7 Israel; and 

8 (4) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated 

9 solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting 

10 in two states, a democratic, Jewish State of Israel 

11 and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living 

12 side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recogni13 tion. 

Æ 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS