Rep. Peter Roskam (R., Ill.) blasted the State Department on Wednesday for rejecting aspects of a new trade law that is supposed to discourage boycotts against Israel.
Roskam and Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) co-authored the bipartisan legislation, which would require the Obama administration to pressure U.S. trading partners to reject the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The measure was included in the Trade Promotion Authority bill, which passed Congress and was signed into law this week.
The State Department objected to the language of the law on Tuesday, and indicated it would not oppose boycotts against Israeli settlements outside of the 1949 armistice line.
Roskam called on the State Department to "fully comply" with the law as written:
The State Department's comments cast doubt on its true commitment to achieving a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians through direct negotiations—which has been and remains U.S. policy. Instead, by imposing territorial distinctions, State is prejudging the outcome of the peace process. Our language reflects the reality that those who seek to destroy the Jewish state through the BDS movement do not distinguish between Israel and its territories. These measures, which the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative publicly supported before the Ways and Means Committee in April, were unanimously adopted in the House and Senate. We expect the Administration to fully comply with the provisions mandated by Congress and signed into law by President Obama himself just a few days ago.
The anti-BDS law was opposed by J Street, a left-leaning Middle East lobbying group that has worked closely with the White House.