Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) reintroduced the Anti-BDS Labeling Act, which would require all goods made in the Jewish state to continue to be labeled “made in Israel,” including if they were produced in Judea and Samaria.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) introduced the legislation in the House, where it passed by a vote of 231-189 on Sept. 18, 2024. Cotton first tried to introduce the bill to the Senate in 2021, but it never made it out of committee.
“Left-wing activists abuse country-of-origin labels in order to stigmatize products made in Israel,” Cotton stated. “Our bill will defend the integrity of the Jewish state by ensuring that Israeli products may proudly bear the label ‘made in Israel.’”
The bill would prohibit the Biden administration from changing current policy back to that of the Obama and Clinton administrations when goods made in Judea and Samaria had to be labeled “made in the West Bank.”
Donald Trump overturned that policy in his first administration.
The U.S. government treats these articles as Israeli goods for trade purposes.
“The Anti-BDS Labeling Act reinforces U.S. policy, ensuring that goods produced in Israel are accurately labeled while blocking federal funds from supporting the discriminatory BDS movement,” Tenney stated. “This legislation reaffirms our commitment to our greatest ally, Israel.”
