WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) announced that he recently joined Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01) in introducing H.R. 6940, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. This legislation aims to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign that encourages the boycotting of companies and organizations that do business with the Jewish State of Israel.

“There is no place for anti-Semitism in America or anywhere else. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism has been allowed to live on in our global economy disguised as the BDS movement,” said Joyce. “I’m proud to help lead the effort to combat this thinly veiled act of anti-Semitism. My father, like so many others in the Greatest Generation, risked his life to defeat the scourge of Nazism. I’m proud to continue his battle against anti-Semitism in Congress and will always stand with Ohio’s Jewish community against all anti-Semitic threats wherever they arise.”

Specifically, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act would amend the Export Administration Act of 1979 to prohibit boycotts or boycott requests imposed by international governmental organizations against Israel. The bill would also protect American companies from being coerced to provide information to international organizations for the purpose of furthering boycotts against Israel and hold individuals who attempt to violate this protection accountable. Additionally, it would affirm Congress’ opposition to the BDS movement and state that Congress considers the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council’s creation of a database of companies doing business in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights in March 2016 to be an advancement of the BDS movement.

In 2020, Ohio saw its largest increase in anti-Semitic incidents in over 40 years. An astonishing 63% of the reported anti-Semitic incidents in the Buckeye State that year occurred in Northeast Ohio. According to the American Jewish Community, nearly one in every four Jewish Americans reported they were the subject of anti-Semitism in 2021. “At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States, Congress has an obligation to oppose policies that target businesses simply for their association with Israel,” said Joyce. “The freedom of religion is a fundamental right that belongs to all Americans. Any threat to this right is an attack on one of the core pillars of our democracy and must be confronted.”