H. Res. 246 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

July 23, 2019. 

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 repeatedly expressed our Nation’s unwavering commitment 

to the security of Israel as a Jewish and democratic 

state; 

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 the United States Constitution protects the rights of 

United States citizens to articulate political views, including with respect to the policies of the United States or 

foreign governments; 

Whereas American 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; 

Whereas support for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians 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-
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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 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 campaign 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 Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions 

Movement is one of several recent political movements 

that undermines the possibility for a negotiated solution 

to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by demanding concessions of one party alone and encouraging the Palestinians 

to reject negotiations in favor of international pressure; 

Whereas the founder of the Global BDS Movement, Omar 

Barghouti, has denied the right of the Jewish people in 

their homeland, saying, ‘‘We oppose a Jewish state in 

any part of Palestine. No Palestinian, rational Palestinian, not a sell-out Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.’’; 

Whereas the Global BDS Movement targets not only the 

Israeli government but also Israeli academic, cultural, 

and civil society institutions, as well as individual Israeli 

citizens of all political persuasions, religions, and 
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ethnicities, and in some cases even Jews of other nationalities who support Israel; 

Whereas the Global BDS Movement does not recognize, and 

many of its supporters explicitly deny, the right of the 

Jewish people to national self-determination; 

Whereas university-based Global BDS efforts violate the core 

goals of the university and global cultural development, 

which thrive on free and open exchange and debate, and 

in some cases, leads to the intimidation and harassment 

of Jewish students and others who support Israel; 

Whereas the Global 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; 

Whereas boycotts and similar tools aimed at promoting racial 

justice and social change have been used effectively in the 

United States, South Africa, and other parts of the 

world; and 

Whereas in contrast to protest movements that have sought 

racial justice and social change, the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel is not 

about promoting coexistence, civil rights, and political 

reconciliation but about questioning and undermining the 

very legitimacy of the country and its people: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, and 

Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement) targeting Israel, 

including efforts to target United States companies that 

are engaged in commercial activities that are legal under 
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United States law, and all efforts to delegitimize the 

State of Israel; 

(2) urges Israelis and Palestinians to return to direct negotiations as the only way to achieve an end to 

the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; 

(3) affirms the Constitutional right of United 

States citizens to free speech, including the right to protest or criticize the policies of the United States or foreign governments; 

(4) supports the full implementation of the United 

States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 (Public 

Law 113–296; 128 Stat. 4075) and new efforts to enhance government-wide, coordinated United States-Israel 

scientific and technological cooperation in civilian areas, 

such as with respect to energy, water, agriculture, alternative fuel technology, civilian space technology, and security, in order to counter the effects of actions to boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel; and 

(5) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two 

states—a democratic Jewish State of Israel, and a via-
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ble, democratic Palestinian state—living side-by-side in 

peace, security, and mutual recognition. 

Attest: 

Clerk.