Obama Signs anti-BDS Trade Agreement into Law

International Middle East Center

US President Barack Obama, this week, signed into law a sweeping trade agreement which protects Israel from boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) by countries who oppose the ongoing military occupation of Palestine.

The agreement — H.R. 644: Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 — was passed 75-20, on February 11, and later signed into law by the president, on February 24.  

The agreement, according to Ma’an News Agency, reiterates that US Congress “opposes politically motivated actions that penalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifically with Israel,” referring specifically to BDS activities.

The act also cites that congress “supports efforts” to prevent international organizations or governments from carrying out investigation or prosecution of US citizens who do business with “Israel, with Israeli entities, or in any territory controlled by Israel.”

The provision, in effect, allows US citizens immunity from conducting trade with illegal Israeli settlements, while its terminology fails to distinguish Israeli settlements from the state of Israel.

This terminology conflicts with the US’ official line against settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank. But, the White House, earlier this month, said: “As with any bipartisan compromise legislation, there are provisions in this bill that we do not support.”

Despite the contravention, the White House said that Obama would sign the agreement into law “to help strengthen enforcement of the rules and level the playing field for American workers and businesses.” The US government opposes the BDS movement against Israel, and, while US law requires that products made in illegal Israeli settlements may not be labeled “Made in Israel,” the law is rarely enforced.

The BDS movement aims to exert political and economic pressure over Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories in a bid to repeat the success of the campaign which ended apartheid in South Africa.

Israel has been struggling to tackle a growing Palestinian-led boycott campaign which has had a number of high-profile successes abroad.

Moves inside the US — Israel’s longstanding ally and number one provider of military aid — to criminalize BDS have been slammed by human rights defenders as a violation of free speech.

A similar trend ran through the UK, earlier this month, following British proposals to forbid a boycott of Israeli settlement goods by publicly-funded British institutions.

Rafeef Ziadah, a spokesperson for the UK branch of the Palestinian BDS National Committee, slammed Britain’s proposed regulation.

“By undermining local democracy in service of Israel, David Cameron is standing on the wrong side of history, just as Margaret Thatcher did with her support for apartheid South Africa,” Ziadah said.

http://www.imemc.org/article/75093

13 thoughts on “Obama Signs anti-BDS Trade Agreement into Law

  1. “Obama glues his lips in a permanent “round” position, so he can “be at the ready, anytime!” What a sperm depository he is.

    ” What! The big kahuna Joo’s in town. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

      1. Appreciate the acknowledgement, Mary! I get on a roll and the “rant”, at times, takes on a mind of it’s own, and it just “spews” out! 😆

  2. Well if there was any doubt concerning who tells Obama how to run this country, this should clear it up.

    He’s an Uncle Tom with his nose up a Jew’s ass, and nothing more.

  3. And to think that there are some who believe we have a Zionist Occupational Government (ZOG)! I can’t even begin to imagine where they got that idea. Oh, those crazy conspiracy theorists…

  4. This is good ammunition to use against the argument of obama being a Muslim. It’s ridiculous anyone could ever believe that as NOTHING he’s done has aided anyone more than joos, isrealhell, and isrealhell’s conquest to gain even more surrounding land and resources that don’t belong to them.

    We know which side his bagel is schmeared with lox.

  5. Well, of course he signed an anti-BDS law! Folks, I think we all remember sometime under a Bush (HW or W, forgot which and it doesn’t matter anyway), the Noahide Laws were codified into US Public Law (don’t remember the number but it doesn’t matter anyway)…that pix of the president surrounded by Talmudic rabbis when he signed it is still in my memory.

    It’s all very simple: comply with Israel, or get whacked. Period.

    Love the comment above debunking the nonsense that Obama is Muslim! Obama is whoever or whatever his MASTERS want him to be (to me he’s the Samuel L. Jackson character in “Django Unchained,” a true house-N-word!)

  6. “Despite the contravention, the White House said that Obama would sign the agreement into law “to help strengthen enforcement of the rules and level the playing field for American workers and businesses.”

    Yet he fails to define exactly HOW this would “level the playing field for American workers and businesses.” One can only assume he means for JEWS.

    “Moves inside the US — Israel’s longstanding ally and number one provider of military aid — to criminalize BDS have been slammed by human rights defenders as a violation of free speech.”

    Merely one of thousands of violations.

    https://youtu.be/ubIpoPjBUds?t=1

  7. Only Congress can make or break laws. POS that can’t play well with others cannot. Every piece of Executive action that the lying Kenyan has done can be canceled and nullified.

  8. Hey Barry,

    Do me a favor and stick this finger up your Zionist Israeli masters asses!

    …………………./´¯/)
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    ……….”…………. _.•´
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