Iowa’s U.S. Reps Vote to Oppose BDS Movement Targeting Israel

WASHINGTON – Iowa’s U.S. Reps. Cindy Axne, Abby Finkenauer, Steve King, and Dave Loebsack, voted in favor of H.Res. 246, a resolution opposing efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel and the boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) movement targeting Israel.

The resolution, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider, D-Ill., passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority 398-17. Five members voted present, one of whom was U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich., while 12 members did not vote at all.

Included among those who voted against the resolution was U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who sponsored a resolution supporting Americans’ right to boycott in response to opposition by local and state governments against the BDS movement.

Two co-sponsors of Omar’s resolution, U.S. Reps. John Lewis, D-Georgia, and Donald Payne, D-N.J., voted in favor of the anti-BDS resolution, and U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., voted present. The other co-sponsors of Omar’s resolution – U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Bobby Rush, D-Ill., and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J, voted against the anti-BDS resolution. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who did not co-sponsor Omar’s resolution also voted against the resolution.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote against the H.Res. 246.

As of publication, no member of Iowa’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives offered a public statement on the vote.

The text of the resolution is below:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement) targeting Israel, including efforts to target United States companies that are engaged in commercial activities that are legal under United States law, and all efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel;

(2) affirms that the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement undermines the possibility for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by demanding concessions of one party alone and encouraging the Palestinians to reject negotiations in favor of international pressure;

(3) urges Israelis and Palestinians to return to direct negotiations as the only way to achieve an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;

(4) supports the full implementation of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–296; 128 Stat. 4075) and new efforts to enhance government-wide, coordinated United States-Israel scientific and technological cooperation in civilian areas, such as with respect to energy, water, agriculture, alternative fuel technology, civilian space technology, and security, in order to counter the effects of actions to boycott, divest from, or sanction Israel; and

(5) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states—a democratic Jewish State of Israel, and a viable, democratic Palestinian state—living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition.