WASHINGTON (JTA) — Four U.S. lawmakers from both parties introduced legislation aimed at enhancing anti-Arab boycott measures.
The legislation introduced Nov. 12 would require the U.S. Trade Representative to list the countries participating in the Arab League boycott against Israel; declare whether the countries have been represented at meetings at the central boycott office in Damascus and whether they maintain boycott offices; and assess whether their practices have had an impact on U.S. business in Israel.
U.S. Reps. Shelly Berkley (D-Nev.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) introduced the measure.
"Though the United States Trade Representative reports each year on the boycott, I believe that it could be improved through additional requirements," Berkley said in a statement. "Improving reporting can enhance efforts to end all trade boycotts of Israel and allow for better measurement of the progress toward ending such boycotts."
In fact, the U.S. Trade Representative already lists those nations participating in the boycott and cracks down on U.S. companies offering any compliance with it. Additionally, it has in recent years made free trade agreements with the United States contingent on noncompliance with the boycott and has helped keep nations that observe the secondary and tertiary boycotts — targeting parties who trade with Israel — from joining international bodies.
A 2008 report by the Congressional Research Service found that the effect of the primary boycott — banning direct dealing with Israel — is small and that the secondary and tertiary boycotts have decreased and "may not currently have an extensive effect on the Israeli economy."
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