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The US Congress hosted a conference on Wednesday in support of Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria and against the activities of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement on American college campuses.
The conference, attended by Jewish leaders and more than 100 lawmakers, including Congressmen Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Doug Lamborn (R-CO) and Erik Paulsen (R-MN), was organized by the Shomron Regional Council’s foreign relations office.
“BDS activities sabotage the only real example of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East. Employers in my area give work to thousands of people, both Jews and Arabs. BDS is not happy about Jews and Arabs working together,” said Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, The Algemeiner reported.
“Many would have liked to believe that anti-Semitism died after World War II, but unfortunately anti-Semitism is again rearing its ugly head in the form of BDS,” Lamborn said.
“Enough is enough,” Gohmert added. “We’re coming after your investments and what you’re doing, we’re going to hit you in your pocketbook until you stop this anti-Israel activity.”
Paulsen said Palestinians “need to realize that the key to greater freedom, autonomy, prosperity and peace is a growing economy. That can only come through a strong economic partnership and relationship with Israel. The people who are pushing the BDS movement are the exact same people who don’t want peace and stability in the region.”
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa South Carolina, New Jersey and Rhode Island have passed bills fighting boycotts on Israel.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed an executive order banning state agencies from investing in companies that support boycotts on Israel.
More than 20 states are considering, or have passed, legislation targeting companies that comply with the anti-Israel BDS movement, and many countries around the world have introduced and passed similar laws.
The BDS movement promotes financial, academic and cultural boycotts against Israel, ostensibly as a nonviolent struggle against the so-called “Israeli occupation.”
Critics say its activities are a modern form of anti-Semitism, and its true objective is to destroy the State of Israel.
By: JNS.org and United with Israel Staff
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