Americans for Peace Now (APN) opposes in the strongest terms the reintroduction of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act by Congressman Zeldin (R-NY).
As we have seen with similar efforts on the state level, this legislation, if enacted, will be used as a cudgel to violate Americans' First Amendment rights. It intentionally erases the distinction between Israel and the territories it occupied in 1967 and continues to control under military occupation. And those who attempt to differentiate between Israeli goods and those made in the settlements, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council's database of companies doing business in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights in March 2016, will be considered in violation of this law.
APN's President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: "Boycotting, divestment, and sanctions are legitimate nonviolent political tactics. The fact is that Representative Zeldin and friends want to turn them into some sort of boogeyman and use the so-called 'threat of BDS' to erase the Green Line and further their greater Israel agenda. But those of us who support a two-state solution know that there is no peace, and there is no better future for Israelis and Palestinians, down this path."