WASHINGTON – The Senate voted Tuesday to pass legisation that encourages state governments in the United States not to sign contracts with supporters of boycotts against Israel or its settlements in the West Bank. The law passed the Senate after close to a month of political fighting between Democrats and Republicans, and also within the Democratic Party, over its implications regarding freedom of speech. Haaretz Weekly Ep. 14 0:00 -- : -- 15 Skip 15 seconds backwards Play audio 15 Skip 15 seconds ahead 1 X Change playback rate from 1 to 1 Mute audio In the end, 77 senators voted in favor of the legislation and 23 voted against it. Like in previous rounds of voting, the Democratic Party was split on the issue, with a narrow majority of Democratic senators voting in favor and close to half opposing it. Only one Republican senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, joined Democrats opposing the law by warning that it harms free speech. The law isn’t likely to pass the House of Representatives at this point due to Democratic control over the chamber. Democratic representatives are expected to break the bill up into component parts, with the leadership likely to bury the anti-BDS section while advancing the other sections. The American Civil Liberties Union said in response to the Senate vote: “Today, the Senate chose politics over the Constitution and trampled on the First Amendment rights of all Americans. “We encourage each senator who voted for this bill to read the Constitution and understand the protections it affords individuals against the unconstitutional, McCarthy-era tactics this bill endorses.” The anti-BDS bill passed the Senate as part of a “package” of Middle East-related laws that were presented in one piece of legislation. The other part of the bill includes consensus issues such as security assistance to Israel and sanctions on Syria that, separate from the anti-BDS law, probably would have passed the Senate with very broad support from both parties, perhaps with no opposition at all. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee applauded the Senate for passing the legislation. The pro-Israel lobby gave strong backing to the anti-BDS law, fighting back against the warnings of the ACLU regarding free speech concerns. AIPAC said on Tuesday: “This legislation mirrors a provision in current federal law that protects states directing divestment from companies invested in Iran’s energy sector,” and that “the legislation has no impact on the right of Americans to personally boycott Israel or oppose Israeli policies” – a statement that opponents of the law, including the liberal Jewish group J Street, said was untrue. J Street called the legislation “deeply flawed” and asked its own supporters to contact their representatives in the House and call on them to oppose the bill.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON – The Senate voted Monday to advance a legislative package of bills related to Israel and the Middle East, including a bill against the BDS movement. Seventy-four senators voted in favor of advancing the bill to a final vote, while 17 opposed it. Even though all of the “no” votes” came from Democratic senators, the majority of Democratic senators voted in favor of the bill. The actual vote on the bill will most likely take place later this week and is expected to easily pass the Senate. >> The fight over Israel in the new Congress will be long and ugly | Analysis ■ No, Israel and America aren't breaking up. Don't believe the hype | Opinion Among the prominent Democratic senators who voted against advancing the bill were Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Kirsten Gillibrand (New York), who are both in the midst of preparing for a presidential run next year. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent of Vermont), another potential presidential contender, also voted against the legislation, explaining that “while I do not support the BDS movement, we must defend every American’s constitutional right to engage in political activity. It is clear to me that this bill would violate Americans’ First Amendment rights." Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Democrat of Minnesota), who is often discussed as a potential presidential candidate, voted in favor of the legislation. Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, two more prominent names on the 2020 candidates list, did not attend the vote. Harris was in Iowa for a campaign event.<doc-sep>
WASHINGTON – The Senate futher advanced a package of bills related to the Middle East on Tuesday, including one that encourages state governments to demand that contractors declare they don’t support boycotts of Israel or its settlements in the West Bank. Seventy-six senators voted in favor of the bill, including a majority of Senate Democrats; 22 senators voted against it, including a number of prominent Democrats who could seek the party’s presidential nomination in the 2020 election. Democrats who voted against the bill included senators Kamala Harris, Corey Booker, Sherrod Brown, Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders (an independent who caucuses with the Democrats) – all potential candidates for 2020. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is also mentioned as a potential 2020 candidate, was among the 24 Democrats who backed the bill. So too did Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and newly elected senators Kyrsten Sinema and Jacky Rosen. >> Moment of truth: Congress to decide on key Israel-related legislation The Senate bill, known as S.1 – Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019, is a package of bills, including the controversial anti-boycott law. The bill essentially encourages support for local legislation passed by U.S. states against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. More than 25 states have passed such legislation in recent years. In many cases, the local legislation makes it illegal for the state government to sign contracts with service providers who refuse to sign a declaration saying they don’t participate in boycotts of Israel or its settlements in the West Bank. Over the past year, a number of contractors filed lawsuits against such laws, claiming to have lost jobs because of them. In two cases, federal courts in Kansas and Arizona suspended the implementation of such laws as a result of lawsuits alleging a violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The American Civil Liberties Union has denounced such legislation and is involved in many of the lawsuits against it.