Senate approves bill to rein in anti-Israel boycotts

Senators approved legislation Tuesday to protect states and localities that refuse to do business with organizations that boycott Israel, in a vote that served as a reminder of the close ties between the Middle East nation and America’s elected officials.

The bill, passed on a 77-23 vote, also reaffirms military cooperation with Israel and Jordan and orders the Treasury Department to consider sanctions on Syria’s central bank.

But it was the boycott language that drew the most scrutiny, coming amid a growing debate over attempts by activists to pressure Israel into changing its internal and foreign policies by demanding boycotts, divestment and sanctions.

The BDS movement, as it has become known, has drawn pushback from a wide swath of lawmakers who say the movement smacks of anti-Semitism, in addition to picking the wrong side in the decades-long conflict.

“The passage of this legislation sends an unequivocal statement that the United States will not tolerate the economic blockade of our friends in Israel, and those who go down this path will lose access to the American economy,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican.

The legislation still needs approval of the House, where it’s unclear whether Democrats who control the chamber will put it on the floor or, if they do, whether they will strip the BDS language.

The rest of the bill renews loan guarantees for Israel to buy military equipment, authorizes their purchase of precision-guided munitions, and renews a joint defense cooperation agreement with Jordan.

The bill also includes a non-binding measure putting the Senate on record supporting a continued U.S. military presence in Syria and Afghanistan. That language, approved earlier this week, is a rebuke to President Trump’s troop withdrawal plans.

A majority of Democrats joined Republicans in support. Just one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, dissented, along with 21 Democrats and Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, saying that while she’s a supporter of Israel, attempts to give an imprimatur to states and localities that punish BDS adherents are unconstitutional.

“If this legislation were signed into law, I fail to see how it could survive a court challenge,” she said.

She also said the bill went too far in extending to Israeli settlements in the West Bank — territory that Palestinians claim as their own. Ms. Feinstein said the bill could be seen as American recognition of those settlements as part of Israel, upsetting the already fragile balance.

The BDS movement punishes companies that do business in Israel proper. In response, some states and localities have passed measures requiring employees and contractors to affirm that they will not take part in boycotts.

Courts have ruled against several versions of those laws.