Israel Anti-Boycott Act

H.R.1697
Introduced: 
March 23, 2017
115
First
June 28, 2018
Ordered to be reported

Like identical bill S. 720 of 3/23/17, this bill would amend the Export Administration Act of 1979 that bars participation in the Arab boycott of Israel to block U.S. persons engaged in interstate or international commerce from complying with or supporting a boycott of Israel or Israeli businesses, including those operating in the settlements, called for by a foreign country or an international institution, such as the UN or EU. It would also block U.S. persons from providing or requesting information on any person’s business relationship with Israel. This provision was designed in response to the 3/24/16 UNHRC request for the creation of a blacklist of all Israeli and international firms operating directly or indirectly in the occupied Palestinian territories (see JPS 45[4]), with specific application to BDS initiatives. Any person who knowingly violates or attempts to violate this provision would be eligible for civil penalties of up to $250,000 or a criminal penalty of up to $1 m. and 20 years in prison.

The bill would also require the Export-Import Bank to consider policies and actions intended to penalize or otherwise limit relations with Israel when evaluating potential credit applications.

Although the bill’s “Definitions” section stated that “nothing in this section shall be construed to alter the established policy of the United States or to establish new U.S. policy concerning final status issues associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict, including border delineation,” critics alleged that the measure would effectively apply anti-BDS initiatives targeting both Israel as well as Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Sponsor/Cosponsors:

Ralph Abraham(R-LA)Robert Aderholt(R-AL)Pete Aguilar(D-CA)Richard W. Allen(R-GA)Mark E. Amodei(R-NV)Jodey C. Arrington(R-TX)Brian Babin(R-TX)Don Bacon(R-NE)Jim Banks(R-IN)Louis Barletta(R-PA)Andy Barr(R-KY)Nanette Diaz Barragan(D-CA)Joyce Beatty(D-OH)Jack Bergman(R-MI)Andy Biggs(R-AZ)Gus Bilirakis(R-FL)Sanford Jr Bishop(D-GA)Rob Bishop(R-UT)Mike Bishop(R-MI)Marsha Blackburn(R-TN)Rod Blum(R-IA)Mike Bost(R-IL)Brendan Boyle(D-PA)Robert Brady(D-PA)Kevin Brady(R-TX)Dave Brat(R-VA)Jim Bridenstine(R-OK)Susan Brooks(R-IN)Anthony G. Brown(D-MD)Vernon Buchanan(R-FL)Kenneth R. Buck(R-CO)Larry Bucshon(R-IN)Ted Budd(R-NC)Bradley Byrne(R-AL)Ken Calvert(R-CA)Tony Cardenas(D-CA)Buddy Carter(R-GA)John Carter(R-TX)Kathy Castor(D-FL)Steve Chabot(R-OH)Jason Chaffetz(R-UT)Liz Cheney(R-WY)Michael Cloud(R-TX)Mike Coffman(R-CO)Tom Cole(R-OK)Chris Collins(R-NY)Doug Collins(R-GA)James Comer(R-KY)Barbara Comstock(R-VA)Mike Conaway(R-TX)Paul Cook(R-CA)Jim Cooper(D-TN)Luis J. Correa(D-CA)Jim Costa(D-CA)Ryan Costello(R-PA)Joe Courtney(D-CT)Kevin Cramer(R-ND)Charlie Crist(D-FL)John Culberson(R-TX)Carlos Curbelo(R-FL)John Curtis(R-UT)Warren Davidson(R-OH)Rodney Davis(R-IL)Ron DeSantis(R-FL)John Delaney(D-MD)Jeff Denham(R-CA)Scott DesJarlais(R-TN)Ted Deutch(D-FL)Mario Diaz-Balart(R-FL)Daniel Donovan(R-NY)Sean Duffy(R-WI)Jeff Duncan(R-SC)Neal P. Dunn(R-FL)Tom Emmer(R-MN)Eliot Engel(D-)Adriano Espaillat(D-NY)Ron Estes(R-KS)Blake Farenthold(R-TX)John J. Faso(R-NY)Drew A. Ferguson(R-GA)Brian Fitzpatrick(R-PA)Chuck Fleischmann(R-TN)Bill Flores(R-TX)Virginia Foxx(R-NC)Lois Frankel(D-FL)Trent Franks(R-AZ)Rodney Frelinghuysen(R-NJ)Mike Gallagher(R-WI)Ruben Gallego(D-AZ)Thomas A. Garrett Jr.(R-VA)Greg Gianforte(R-MT)Bob Gibbs(R-OH)Louis Jr. Gohmert(R-TX)Jimmy Gomez(D-CA)Vicente Gonzalez(D-TX)Paul Gosar(R-AZ)Josh Gottheimer(D-NJ)Kay Granger(R-TX)Tom Graves(R-GA)Garret Graves(R-LA)Sam Graves(R -MO)Gene Green(D-TX)Glenn S. Grothman(R-WI)Brett Guthrie(R-)Colleen Hanabusa(D-HI)Karen Handel(R-GA)Gregg Harper(R-MS)Andy Harris(R-MD)Vicky Hartzler(R-MO)Alcee Hastings(D-FL)Jeb Hensarling(R-TX)Jaime Herrera Beutler(R-WA)Jody B. Hice(R-GA)Brian Higgins(D-)Clay Higgins(R-LA)French Hill(R-AR)George Holding(R-NC)Trey Hollingsworth(R-IN)Steny Hoyer(D-MD)Richard Hudson(R-NC)Bill Huizenga(R-MI)Randy Hultgren(R-IL)Duncan Hunter(R-CA)Will Hurd(R-TX)Darrell Issa(R-CA)Sheila Jackson-Lee(D-TX)Hakeem Jeffries(D-NY)Lynn Jenkins(R-KS)Evan Jenkins(R-WV)Sam Johnson(R-TX)Mike Johnson(R-LA)Bill Johnson(R-OH)James Jordan(R-OH)David Joyce(R-OH)John Katko(R-NY)Mike Kelly(R-PA)Joseph Kennedy III(D-MA)Derek Kilmer(D-WA)Pete King(R-)Steven King(R-IA)Adam Kinzinger(R-IL)Steve Knight(R-CA)Raja Krishnamoorthi(D-IL)David Kustoff(R-TN)Doug LaMalfa(R-CA)Raul Labrador(R-ID)Ray Lahood(R-IL)Douglas Lamborn(R-CO)Leonard Lance(R-NJ)Rick Larsen(D-WA)John Larson(D-CT)Robert Latta(R-OH)Debbie Lesko(R-AZ)Sander Levin(D-MI)Ted Lieu(D-CA)Daniel Lipinski(D-IL)Frank Lobiondo(R-NJ)Billy Long(R-MO)Barry Loudermilk(R-GA)Mia Love(R-UT)Nita Lowey(D-)Frank Lucas(R-OK)Blaine Luetkemeyer(R-MO)Thomas MacArthur(R-NJ)Sean Patrick Maloney(D-NY)Carolyn Maloney(D-)Kenny Ewell Marchant(R-TX)Tom Marino(R-PA)Roger W. Marshall(R-KS)Brian J. Mast(R-FL)Michael McCaul(R-TX)Tom McClintock(R-CA)Donald A. McEachin(D-VA)Patrick McHenry(R-NC)David McKinley(R-WV)Cathy McMorris Rodgers(R-WA)Martha McSally(R-AZ)Mark Meadows(R-NC)Patrick Meehan(R-PA)Gregory Meeks(D-)Grace Meng(D-NY)Luke Messer(R-IN)Paul Mitchell(R-MI)John Moolenaar(R-MI)Alex Mooney(R-WV)Markwayne Mullin(R-OK)Tim Murphy(R-PA)Stephanie N. Murphy(D-FL)Grace Napolitano(D-CA)Richard Neal(D-MA)Dan Newhouse(R-WA)Kristi Noem(R-SD)Don Norcross(D-NJ)Ralph Norman(R-SC)Devin Gerald Nunes(R-CA)Tom O'Halleran(D-AZ)Pete Olson(R-TX)Steven Palazzo(R-MS)Frank Pallone Jr(D-NJ)Jimmy Panetta(D-CA)Erik Paulsen(R-MN)Steve Pearce(R-NM)Edwin Perlmutter(D-CO)Scott Perry(R-PA)Collin Peterson(D-MN)Ted Poe(R-TX)Bruce Poliquin(R-ME)Bill Posey(R-FL)John Lee Ratcliffe(R-TX)Tom Reed(R-NY)Dave Reichert(R-WA)James Renacci(R-OH)Tom Rice(R-SC)Kathleen Rice(D-NY)David "Phil" Roe(R-TN)Mike D Rogers(R-AL)Todd Rokita(R-IN)Tom Rooney(R-FL)Francis Rooney(R-FL)Ileana Ros-Lehtinen(R-FL)Jacky Rosen(D-NV)Dennis Ross(R-FL)Keith Rothfus(R-PA)David Rouzer(R-NC)Lucille Roybal-Allard(D-CA)Ed Royce(R-CA)Dutch Ruppersberger(D-MD)Steven Russell(R-OK)John Rutherford(R-FL)Linda Sanchez(D-CA)John Sarbanes(D-MD)Adam Schiff(D-CA)Brad Schneider(D-IL)Kurt Schrader(D-OR)David Schweikert(R-AZ)David Scott(D-GA)Austin Scott(R-GA)James Jr Sensenbrenner(R-WI)Pete Sessions(R-TX)Brad Sherman(D-CA)John Shimkus(R-IL)Mike Simpson(R-ID)Kyrsten Sinema(D-AZ)Albio Sires(D-NJ)Chris Smith(R-NJ)Lamar Smith(R-TX)Jason Smith(R-MO)Adrian Smith(R-NE)Adam Smith(D-WA)Lloyd Smucker(R-PA)Darren Soto(D-FL)Elise Stefanik(R-NY)Chris Stewart(R-UT)Steve Stivers(R-OH)Thomas R. Suozzi(D-NY)Eric Swalwell(D-CA)Scott Taylor(R-VA)Claudia Tenney(R-NY)Glenn Thompson(R-PA)Mac Thornberry(R-TX)Scott Tipton(R-CO)Dina Titus(D-NV)Dave Trott(R-MI)Michael Turner(R-OH)Fred Upton(R-MI)David Valadao(R-CA)Juan Vargas(D-CA)Marc Veasey(D-TX)Filemon Vela Jr.(D-TX)Ann Wagner(R-MO)Tim Walberg(R-MI)Greg Walden(R -OR)Mark Walker(R-NC)Jackie Walorski(R-IN)Mimi Walters(R-CA)Debbie Wasserman-Shultz(D-FL)Randy K. Weber(R-TX)Daniel Webster(R-FL)Bruce Westerman(R-AR)Roger Williams(R-TX)Joe Wilson(R-SC)Frederica Wilson(D-FL)Robert Wittman(R-VA)Steve Womack(R-AR)Rob Woodall(R-GA)Kevin Yoder(R-KS)Ted Yoho(R-FL)David Young(R-IA)Don Young(R-AK)Lee Zeldin(R-NY)

More info

For more information, Click Here to visit this measure’s page at congress.gov.

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