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House Resolution 370: The General Assembly of Pennsylvania

This resolution from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives condemns the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for seeking to undermine Israel and the Jewish people's right to self-determination. It cites the long history of friendship between Pennsylvania and Israel, and expresses concern over increasing BDS activities in the Commonwealth and on college campuses. The resolution resolves to condemn BDS and support Israel's right to exist as a sovereign democratic state.

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157 views4 pages

House Resolution 370: The General Assembly of Pennsylvania

This resolution from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives condemns the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for seeking to undermine Israel and the Jewish people's right to self-determination. It cites the long history of friendship between Pennsylvania and Israel, and expresses concern over increasing BDS activities in the Commonwealth and on college campuses. The resolution resolves to condemn BDS and support Israel's right to exist as a sovereign democratic state.

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Cfca Antisemitism
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© © All Rights Reserved
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PRINTER'S NO.

1697

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 370
Session of
2015

INTRODUCED BY BAKER, COHEN, THOMAS, MILLARD, DRISCOLL, MURT,


TALLMAN, O'BRIEN, SCHLOSSBERG, JAMES, DiGIROLAMO, TOEPEL,
BRIGGS, FRANKEL, KAUFFMAN, GOODMAN, PASHINSKI, GROVE,
HEFFLEY, WATSON, BENNINGHOFF AND BRADFORD, JUNE 5, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 5, 2015
A RESOLUTION
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Condemning the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions


movement and its activities in this Commonwealth for seeking
to undermine the Jewish people's right to self-determination,
which they are fulfilling in the State of Israel.

WHEREAS, The residents of this Commonwealth have a history of

standing against bigotry, oppression, discrimination and

injustice; and

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WHEREAS, This Commonwealth and Israel have a long history of


friendship and are great allies in support of each other's
interests; and

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WHEREAS, The State of Israel, the only democracy in the

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Middle East, is the greatest friend and ally of the United

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States in the Middle East; and

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WHEREAS, There is a strong history of a cultural, economic,

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social, business, governmental and educational relationship

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between this Commonwealth and the State of Israel; and

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WHEREAS, The General Assembly recognizes the importance of

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expressing their unabridged support for the Jewish people and

the State of Israel's right to exist and the right of self-

defense; and

WHEREAS, The first attempt to boycott Jewish interests in the

Pennsylvania Colony occurred in 1662 and was rejected when Sir

Robert Carr, in 1664, assumed command of the Delaware in the

name of the English crown; and

WHEREAS, The instructions to Sir Robert Carr were that "all

people should enjoy the liberty of their conscience," and the

proposed boycott did not occur; and

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WHEREAS, American Jews sided overwhelmingly with the American

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Revolution, including, Haim Solomon, a Philadelphia citizen who

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was a major financier of the American Revolution; and

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WHEREAS, Based on official hate crime statistics, there are

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increasing incidents of anti-Semitism around the world,

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including in the United States and this Commonwealth; and

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WHEREAS, The international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

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(BDS) movement is one of the main vehicles for spreading anti-

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Semitism and advocating the elimination of the Jewish state; and

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WHEREAS, Activities promoting BDS against Israel have

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increased in this Commonwealth, including on some college and

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university campuses, and contribute to anti-Semitism and anti-

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Zionist propaganda; and

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WHEREAS, The dramatic increase in BDS movement campaign

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activities on college campuses around the country has resulted

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in increased animosity and intimidation against Jewish students,

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negatively impacting student programming related to the State of

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Israel and politics in the Middle East; and

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WHEREAS, Leaders of the BDS movement say their goal is to


eliminate Israel as the home of the Jewish people; and
WHEREAS, Signs and messaging at anti-Israel rallies in this

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Commonwealth have adopted the BDS slogan, "from the river to the

sea Palestine will be free," meaning there would be no Israel

between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and the

State of Israel would cease to exist; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly understands that the goals and

activities of BDS campaigns in this Commonwealth are harmful to

this Commonwealth's Jewish citizens and to the Jewish homeland,

Israel, and have a deleterious impact on the educational

environment; and

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WHEREAS, The BDS campaign's call for academic boycotts have

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been condemned by many of our nation's largest academic

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associations, more than 250 university presidents, and many

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other leading scholars as a violation of the bedrock principle

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of academic freedom; therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives condemn the

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international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and

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its activities in this Commonwealth for seeking to undermine the

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Jewish people's right to self-determination, which they are

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fulfilling in the State of Israel; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives condemn

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activities which contribute directly or indirectly to the

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denial, violation or delegitimization of any people's academic

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freedom, including the promotion of academic boycotts by the BDS

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movement against Israel; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives consider the

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international BDS movement and its agenda inherently

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antithetical and deeply damaging to the causes of peace,

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justice, equality, democracy, and human rights for all peoples

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in the Middle East; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives reaffirm its

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support for the State of Israel, recognize that the Jewish

people are indigenous to the land of Israel, condemn all attacks

on the people of Israel, support Israel's right to engage in

lawful acts of self-defense and oppose all attempts to deny the

legitimacy of Israel as a sovereign state; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to

the President of the United States, the Congress of the United

States and the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC for transmission

to the proper authorities in the State of Israel.

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