1) Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA): Time is running out for a fix prior to the Friday,
February 1 implementation date. ATCA will end US support for Israeli-Palestinian security coordination, eliminate
the last official channel between the US government and the Palestinian Authority, and prevent the future
resumption of US development assistance to Palestinians. Read the op-ed in The Hill by Debra Shushan on why Congress must act and what it
can do.
2) Senate Bill 1, including the Combating BDS Act (CBA), was advanced following two votes this
week. Yesterday's vote, which paves the way for introduction of amendments, was 76-22. (Find out how your senators
voted here.)
Some senators spoke passionately of their opposition to CBA, both on First Amendment grounds and because of its
conflation of settlements with sovereign Israel. In particular, these remarks by Sen. Chris Van Hollen are worth your view.