Niagara Leader

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney of New York and Congressman Jared Moskowitz of Florida have once again put forward the Countering Hate Against Israel by Federal Contractors Act. This legislative measure seeks to restrict federal contracts with entities supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The proposal has garnered additional backing from Representatives Mike Lawler, Ben Cline, Greg Steube, and Elise Stefanik.

The legislators behind the bill point to the fact that 38 U.S. states have already enacted laws against boycotts of Israel. The proposed federal legislation aims to align with those states and solidify the United States' alliance with Israel.

Congresswoman Tenney emphasized her stance by stating, "The BDS movement promotes and normalizes anti-Semitism by singling out the world’s only Jewish state and targeting Israel’s economy. The United States should not support any entity that engages in or endorses such actions." She further supports the need for the federal procurement process to reflect state-level actions by banning procurement from entities endorsing BDS.

Congressman Moskowitz added, "Taxpayer dollars should not be going towards groups that engage in antisemitic boycotts targeting Israel. The BDS movement is antisemitism, plain and simple, and this bill will ensure we’re using taxpayer dollars responsibly to stand up against hate and stand up for our ally Israel."

Sandra Parker, Chairwoman of the CUFI Action Fund, also voiced support, saying, "BDS is nothing more than economic antisemitism and its goal is to destroy the world’s one and only Jewish state. More than 2/3 of U.S states have adopted measures to thwart BDS and it is well past time for the federal government to join the rest of the country with this clear directive."

The bill represents a bipartisan effort to ensure that federal funding does not support activities perceived as antisemitic, reinforcing the U.S.'s strategic and moral alignment with Israel.