In a shocking display of bipartisan support for a contentious measure, members from both major parties in Congress came together to pass legislation about labeling products from Israel.

On Thursday, sixteen House Democrats voted in favor of legislation that would establish regulations that would permit the labeling of products produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank as "made in Israel," with every Republican in favor, as the Jewish Insider reported.

Supporters asserted that the legislation, which would formalize a policy from the Trump administration, is intended to counteract the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

Legislation Debate

As recently as April, reports have intermittently indicated that the Biden administration is contemplating the reversal of the policy.

Proponents of the measure contended that boycotting products manufactured in settlements in the West Bank would be facilitated by their identification.

Opponents of the measure contend that it is ineffective political posturing and, at its most severe, would indicate support for Israel's annexation of portions of the West Bank.

From Lawmakers

“The BDS movement has long targeted goods made in Israeli-controlled areas, sometimes referred to by anti-Israel advocates as the occupied West Bank,” Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) said on the House floor.

“This is about making sure that American citizens know that when they’re purchasing a product in Israeli-controlled Judea and Samaria, they’re purchasing a product made in Israel… it’s about not erasing the existence of Israel in this region of Israel.”

The Democrats who supported the bill, which passed by a margin of 231-189 , included Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX), Don Davis (NC), Jared Golden (ME), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Susie Lee (NV), Grace Meng (NY), Jared Moskowitz (FL), Donald Norcross (NJ), Frank Pallone (NJ), Chris Pappas (NH), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), David Scott (GA), Darren Soto (FL), Ritchie Torres (NY) and Juan Vargas (CA).

More from the House Floor

“The BDS movement has long targeted goods made in Israeli-controlled areas, sometimes referred to by anti-Israel advocates as the occupied West Bank,” Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) said on the House floor.

“This is about making sure that American citizens know that when they’re purchasing a product in Israeli-controlled Judea and Samaria, they’re purchasing a product made in Israel… it’s about not erasing the existence of Israel in this region of Israel.”

Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) connected the legislation to the BDS movement's role in campus anti-Semitism, which he claimed was also a driving force behind it: “American families should have this information in order to buy products that support Israel’s economy, particularly in a time of war,” Smith said. “Conversely, people should know if an item comes from a region controlled by terrorists that kidnapped and killed their fellow Americans.”

Democrat Take

The bill, according to Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), an outspoken pro-Israel Democrat, would not pass the Senate, "distracts" from efforts to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship, and would not contribute to progress toward regional peace or a two-state solution.

Schneider stated that the measure "does little to combat the global BDS effort." He also stated that it does not furnish consumers with a comprehensive understanding of the governance regimes under which imports are manufactured.

“It is a short-term political move that ignores complexities in the region and the demand for thoughtful policy,” Schneider said. “This bill won’t help consumers make decisions, nor will it move the needle on the broader challenges facing Israel… While I share the goal with my colleagues of countering BDS, [this bill] does not achieve that.”

From a Jewish Democrat

New York's longest-serving Jewish Democrat, Rep. Jerry Nadler, criticized the measure, calling it "a backhanded attempt to illuminate a Congressional green light to Israeli annexation of Area C of the West Bank" that  "does nothing to combat the BDS movement."

“Let’s be clear, this measure is aimed at undermining the American support for a two-state solution,” he continued, accusing Republicans of bringing the bill forward as a political stunt to “[force] Democrats to oppose a bill with ‘anti-BDS’ in the title weeks before an election.”