Obama signs anti-BDS bill into law

[King_David]

President approves provisions making rejection of Israel boycott a key objective in trade talks with EU




US President Barack Obama at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, May 12, 2015 (AFP/Nicholas Kamm)

WASHINGTON — After a grueling legislative battle, US President Barack Obama signed into law a controversial trade measure that also contains landmark legislation combating the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement in Europe.

The broader legislation faced an uphill battle after Obama’s usual allies — Democrats in the House of Representative — bucked his authority and voted against key provisions out of concern that liberalization of trade could impact American jobs.

But on Monday, Obama signed into law the so-called “fast track” authorization that will allow US trade negotiators to work out a long-awaited deal with Asian states known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Trade Promotion Authority legislation also contained the anti-BDS provisions, which make rejection of the phenomenon a top priority for US negotiators as they work on a more distant free trade agreement with the European Union.

These guidelines, sponsors hope, will discourage European governments from participating in BDS activities by leveraging the incentive of free trade with the US.


http://www.timesofisrael.com/obama-signs-anti-bds-bill-into-law/

[King_David]

1. Unanimous adoption:

Although the provisions started as stand-alone legislation, they were unanimously adopted into the House and Senate versions of TPA in April.

These are Democratic Party values despite what half the posters in this group may tell you.

[stuffmatters]

2. BDS, as in what brought down Apartheid, now prohibited via TPP,TSA?

WTF America. Thanks Wall Street Dems like my own Scott Peters, and supposedly "progressive" Senators like Ron Wyden, Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray who manipulated fast track through. Just deplorable.

[King_David]

3. Democratic Party was unanimous

Maybe another party or candidate should be found to reflect your views?
Myself I'm happy with our party view on this.

[stuffmatters]

4. Just wow, to your suggestions that I find another party

Were you one of those America Love It Or Leave It voices during Vietnam?

[King_David]

6. Ummm

Wasn't born...

[cprise]

30. Does this indicate the Isreal lobby and Israel are pro-FTA?

That's a much better question here.

[branford]

5. Respectfully, "apartheid" and "progressive" do not mean what you think they mean.

The Democratic Party, nationally and at the state level, officially and strongly opposes BDS, and support for it is generally considered an unpopular, fringe position in the USA, notwithstanding the complaints of a vocal few here and elsewhere.

In fact, I don't believe a single senator or any Democratic in a remotely leadership position supports BDS.

[GoneFishin]

28. So what does the Dem leadership have to do with being progressive or with populist matters?

They are contemptuous of what most people want or need. They get their lobbyist dollars, then they suck up to the special interests that bought and paid for them.

[leftynyc]

34. Or

They're doing their jobs and representing their constituents who poll after poll after poll show very strong support for Israel (despite their current leadership) across party lines. This was a unanimous vote. You are delusional to think most people agree with your position.

[GoneFishin]

35. Or, you are making shit up.

[leftynyc]

36. LOL - feel free to prove me wrong

Here's the latest for you to peruse - February of last year (which shows steady support going back decades). Here's the truth:

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Even as relations between the leaders of Israel and the United States reportedly deteriorate over disagreement about how to handle Iran's nuclear program, Israel has retained its broadly favorable image in the U.S. over the past year. Seventy percent of Americans now view that country favorably, and 62% say they sympathize more with the Israelis than the Palestinians in the Mideast conflict. By contrast, 17% currently view the Palestinian Authority favorably, and 16% sympathize more with the Palestinians.



http://www.gallup.com/poll/181652/seven-americans-continue-view-israel-favorably.aspx



That's what happens when people DON'T ignore the fact the Palestinians in Gaza voted in a terrorist organizations or others that think violence is an answer. When it comes to Americans and Israel, you're barking up the wrong tree. Try Europe.

[shira]

7. BDS is a regressive, not progressive movement. It's 100% anti-semitism...

As Chris Hitchens stated:

“And I'll close by saying this. Because anti-Semitism is the godfather of racism and the gateway to tyranny and fascism and war, it is to be regarded not as the enemy of the Jewish people, I learned, but as the common enemy of humanity and of civilisation, and has to be fought against very tenaciously for that reason, most especially in its current, most virulent form of Islamic Jihad..."

[cprise]

27. Hitchens also supported the Iraq War

And your quote is a non-sequitur.

But it makes a perfect condensation of the arguments against BDS.

[shira]

29. And? Hitchens still makes more sense than any BDS'er....

That quote in its context goes to show that BDS (organized anti-semitism) is a very dangerous totalitarian style movement, not only bad for Jews but for everyone else as well. Historically, what has started off as bad for Jews has also been bad for everyone else.

[GoneFishin]

31. Bullshit. By that warped definition protesting bad conduct by the Obama Administration is

racist and anti-Christian.

It's a bullshit lame meme used to deflect from the fact that it is indefensible for a government to use military might to confiscate private property and give it to others. It is government sanctioned thievery.

People see right through this cheap charade.

[shira]

32. Obama believes BDS is antisemitic too....

“Do you think that Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people, and are you aware of the particular circumstances of Jewish history that might prompt that need and desire?” he said, in defining the questions that he believes should be asked. “And if your answer is no, if your notion is somehow that that history doesn’t matter, then that’s a problem, in my mind. If, on the other hand, you acknowledge the justness of the Jewish homeland, you acknowledge the active presence of anti-Semitism—that it’s not just something in the past, but it is current—if you acknowledge that there are people and nations that, if convenient, would do the Jewish people harm because of a warped ideology. If you acknowledge those things, then you should be able to align yourself with Israel where its security is at stake, you should be able to align yourself with Israel when it comes to making sure that it is not held to a double standard in international fora, you should align yourself with Israel when it comes to making sure that it is not isolated.”
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/05/obama-interview-iran-isis-israel/393782/

[Little Tich]

8. This is only a victory for those who seek the one-state solution.

The Trade Facilitation Act makes any distinction between the settlements in the West Bank and Israel impossible.

The offending clauses:
Text of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (H. R. 644, passed on Feb 12, 2016)
Source: GovTrack.us

sec 909.United States-Israel trade and commercial enhancement
(b)Statements of policy

(7)supports efforts to prevent investigations or prosecutions by governments or international organizations of United States persons solely on the basis of such persons doing business with Israel, with Israeli entities, or in any territory controlled by Israel.

----
(f)Definitions
In this section:

(1)Boycott of, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel
The term boycott of, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel means actions by states, nonmember states of the United Nations, international organizations, or affiliated agencies of international organizations that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifically with Israel or persons doing business in Israel or in any territory controlled by Israel.

I would suggest that the one-staters in this thread try to figure out how making the settlements completely equal to Israel, and for all practical purposes making criticism of the settlements illegal, will keep the Jewish state Jewish...

Read more: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr644/text

[shira]

9. But aren't you for 1-state? Palestinian majority after full so-called RightOfReturn? n/t

[Little Tich]

10. And I thought you were the one-stater...

I think the peace negotiations went on too long and resulted in a missed opportunity to implement the two-state solution. The current situation is the one-state solution, and I can't see how that can be changed. I have no desire for the one-state solution, I've just resigned to its inevitability.

This trade act only shows why resistance is futile...

[shira]

13. But you're against a Jewish state, right? And for full RightOfReturn? n/t

[Little Tich]

14. I believe that Jews and Palestinians should have equal rights to their ancestral homeland.

That includes full right of return for all Jews and Palestinians as well as full access to equal rights for all who live there. Does it mean that I'm against a Jewish state?

I don't know, what do you think?

[oberliner]

15. Jews and Palestinians?

Don't you mean Israelis and Palestinians?

If not, which category would you put this person in:

[azurnoir]

16. Neither he's Druze a minority group that live throughout the Levant

[oberliner]

17. Exactly

There are more than just "Jews and Palestinians" involved here.

[azurnoir]

18. but those are the two major groups there are about 120,000 Druze living in Israel

their relationship with the Israeli government as a whole has had its ups and downs over the years

[oberliner]

19. Why not say Jews and Muslims?

Those are by far the two largest groups of people involved.

It seems like one should either say "Jews and Muslims" or "Israelis and Palestinians" rather than taking one from each.

[Little Tich]

21. Nice deflection...

My beliefs about the rights of people are not formed by the I/P conflict - I only apply what I believe in general to a specific situation. There's no reason why any person should be denied the right to live in their ancestral homeland, and that of course includes Druze. I just don't really see why Israeli Druze are so important here, as most of them are living in their ancestral homeland already.

In this case, I think that it's wrong to define the right to live in their ancestral homeland as being only for Israelis and Palestinians, or Jews and and Muslims. There are many Jews that are not Israelis, and they should have the right to live in their ancestral homeland too, just like any Palestinian. There are many Muslims whose ancestral homeland isn't Palestine, and I'm not sure why you think they should be included.

Do you think that all Jews and Palestinians should have the right to live in their ancestral homeland or not? I think they all do, no exceptions...

[Israeli]

23. Oh the irony and hypocrisy ....

....why Little Titch before shira oberliner ??????

[shira]

20. So yes, you're against a Jewish state even if that means Jews become a minority...

....with Hamas in charge of a fascist totalitarian regime due to a majority of Palestinians electing them.

Do you not realize this, or is it that you just don't care that Jews wouldn't be safe in their homeland if you got your way? And it's not just Jews, but also women, gays, christians, and children who would suffer under such a regime.

This BTW is why Jews cannot be rationally persuaded or bullied into accepting BDS demands. We have human rights too, in particular the right to stay alive and live freely with liberal democratic freedoms.

[Little Tich]

22. I personally don't believe that equal rights would mean any loss of democratic rights for Jews in

Israel, nor a race war.

Very few Israeli Arabs identify with Hamas, and if more Palestinians were given the opportunity to vote in Israeli elections, they would probably vote in a similar way. I personally hope Israel will be the first country in the Middle-East to make the transition into a full democracy like Germany or Sweden.

[shira]

25. With an Arab majority running the show, you're purposely denying reality...

Just as you did by denying the reality of racist, jew-hating Balad MP's who support terror attacks on random Jews.

...they did not go to kill or attempt to kill for criminal reasons or illegally - the day we abstain from visiting the martyrs' families, we will have to vacate our chairs and leave the keys and go home,”

These MP's also observed a moment of silence for these 'martyrs'.

I personally hope Israel will be the first country in the Middle-East to make the transition into a full democracy like Germany or Sweden.

What on earth makes you think Jews would want to live under Balad or Hamas racists who want to murder them?

[Little Tich]

33. We'll just have to wait and see what happens then...

Last edited Sun Feb 21, 2016, 08:43 AM - Edit history (1)

Chances are that the bi-national state is just around the corner, and will suddenly just happen one day. It doesn't really worry me, simply because all parallels where a country gives equal rights to all groups have always been peaceful. Lincoln freed the slaves and they didn't kill all the whites, same thing in South Africa.

The idea that Hamas and Balad would be the only parties Palestinians would vote for in a situation where the full range of democratic expression is allowed, seems far fetched to me.

BTW, welcome back!

[azurnoir]

12. It is designed to keep things just as they are which I believe is good enough for some

an ever growing occupation and yes while there is blood shed as long as the majority of that blood is Palestinian it's oh well

[geek tragedy]

24. It's also a pro-settlement bill. The two-state solution is dead

and Congress has zero compunction about actively helping accelerate the one-state solution.

[Purveyor]

26. And the apartheid train just keeps chugging right along... choo-choo!