171 
(ii) EXCEPTION.—The United States 
Trade Representative shall submit to the 
congressional committees specified in clause 
(i) an initial report that contains the plan 
required under subparagraph (A) not later 
than February 1, 2016. 
SEC. 608. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL TRADE AND COMMERCIAL 
ENHANCEMENT. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Israel is America’s dependable, democratic 
ally in the Middle East—an area of paramount stra-
tegic importance to the United States. 
(2) The United States-Israel Free Trade Agree-
ment formed the modern foundation of the bilateral 
commercial relationship between the two countries 
and was the first such agreement signed by the 
United States with a foreign country. 
(3) The United States-Israel Free Trade Agree-
ment has been instrumental in expanding commerce 
and the strategic relationship between the United 
States and Israel. 
(4) More than $45 billion in goods and services 
is traded annually between the two countries in addi-
tion to roughly $10 billion in United States foreign 
direct investment in Israel. 
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172 
(5) The United States continues to look for and 
find new opportunities to enhance cooperation with 
Israel, including through the enactment of the United 
States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 
2012 (Public Law 112–150) and the United States- 
Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 (Public Law 
113–296). 
(6) It has been the policy of the United States 
Government to combat all elements of the Arab 
League Boycott of Israel by— 
(A) public statements of Administration of-
ficials; 
(B) enactment of relevant sections of the 
Export Administration Act of 1979 (as contin-
ued in effect pursuant to the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act), including 
sections to ensure foreign persons comply with 
applicable reporting requirements relating to the 
boycott; 
(C) enactment of the 1976 Tax Reform Act 
(Public Law 94–455) that denies certain tax 
benefits to entities abiding by the boycott; 
(D) ensuring through free trade agreements 
with Bahrain and Oman that such countries no 
longer participate in the boycott; and 
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173 
(E) ensuring as a condition of membership 
in the World Trade Organization that Saudi 
Arabia no longer enforces the secondary or ter-
tiary elements of the boycott. 
(b) STATEMENTS OF POLICY.—Congress— 
(1) supports the strengthening of United States- 
Israel economic cooperation and recognizes the tre-
mendous strategic, economic, and technological value 
of cooperation with Israel; 
(2) recognizes the benefit of cooperation with 
Israel to United States companies, including by im-
proving American competitiveness in global markets; 
(3) recognizes the importance of trade and com-
mercial relations to the pursuit and sustainability of 
peace, and supports efforts to bring together the 
United States, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and 
others in enhanced commerce; 
(4) opposes politically motivated actions that pe-
nalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifi-
cally with Israel such as boycotts, divestment or sanc-
tions; 
(5) notes that the boycott, divestment, and sanc-
tioning of Israel by governments, governmental bodies, 
quasi-governmental bodies, international organiza-
tions, and other such entities is contrary to the Gen-
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174 
eral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) prin-
ciple of non-discrimination; 
(6) encourages the inclusion of politically moti-
vated actions that penalize or otherwise limit com-
mercial relations specifically with Israel such as boy-
cotts, divestment from, or sanctions against Israel as 
a topic of discussion at the U.S.-Israel Joint Eco-
nomic Development Group (JEDG) and other areas 
to support the strengthening of the United States- 
Israel commercial relationship and combat any com-
mercial discrimination against Israel; 
(7) supports efforts to prevent investigations or 
prosecutions by governments or international organi-
zations of United States persons on the sole basis of 
such persons doing business with Israel, with Israeli 
entities, or in Israeli-controlled territories; and 
(8) supports American States examining a com-
pany’s promotion or compliance with unsanctioned 
boycotts, divestment from, or sanctions against Israel 
as part of its consideration in awarding grants and 
contracts and supports the divestment of State assets 
from companies that support or promote actions to 
boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel. 
(c) PRINCIPAL TRADE NEGOTIATING OBJECTIVES OF 
THE UNITED STATES.— 
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175 
(1) COMMERCIAL
PARTNERSHIPS.—Among the 
principal trade negotiating objectives of the United 
States for proposed trade agreements with foreign 
countries regarding commercial partnerships are the 
following: 
(A) To discourage actions by potential trad-
ing partners that directly or indirectly prejudice 
or otherwise discourage commercial activity sole-
ly between the United States and Israel. 
(B) To discourage politically motivated ac-
tions to boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel 
and to seek the elimination of politically moti-
vated non-tariff barriers on Israeli goods, serv-
ices, or other commerce imposed on the State of 
Israel. 
(C) To seek the elimination of state-spon-
sored unsanctioned foreign boycotts against 
Israel or compliance with the Arab League Boy-
cott of Israel by prospective trading partners. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection takes ef-
fect on the date of the enactment of this Act and ap-
plies with respect to negotiations commenced before, 
on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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