Historic bill would penalize Israel for annexation and apartheid
Josh Ruebner Power Suits 17 August 2020
People march with placards and flags
Palestinians rally against Israels West Bank annexation plans in Gaza City
on 1 July. Ashraf AmraAPA images
On Friday, Minnesota Democratic Representative Betty McCollum introduced the
Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act in the US Congress.
The bill prohibits US recognition of or funding for Israels potential
annexation of additional Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
Its original cosponsors are six Democratic representatives: Michigans
Rashida Tlaib, New Yorks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Massachusetts Ayanna
Pressley, Wisconsins Mark Pocan, Minnesotas Ilhan Omar, and Indianas
André Carson.
All seven representatives have strong track records of congressional
advocacy for Palestinian rights though Pressley last year broke ranks with
progressives and voted for a resolution condemning the boycott, divestment
and sanctions movement.
Promoting equality
This bill is significant because it employs the language of human rights and
equality in expressing opposition to Israeli annexation and proposes
concrete means of holding Israel accountable should it move forward with
annexation.
This framing is significant because most congressional initiatives that
address Israeli-Palestinian policy issues do so from the perspective of
Israels interests, express fealty to the discredited peace process and
two-state solution, and dispense with any tangible consequences for Israel
violating Palestinian rights.
By contrast, McCollums new bill is unambiguous in its condemnation of the
illegality of Israeli annexation, deeming it a flagrant violation of
international law and a prohibited act of aggression under Article 2(4) of
the UN Charter.
Rather than repeat the mantra of a two-state solution, the bill instead
seeks to promote equality, human rights, and dignity for both Palestinians
and Israelis as the basis of US policy.
Hinting at its opposition to current and future apartheid policies Israel
inflicts on the Palestinian people, the bill categorically rejects any
undemocratic system or act of aggression in which Israel unilaterally
exercises permanent rule over a Palestinian people denied self-determination
and human rights.
Consequences for Israel
As important as these rhetorical stances are, the bill is also noteworthy
for its implications if enacted.
It would make it the policy of the United States not to recognize any claim
by the government of Israel of sovereignty over any part of the occupied
West Bank.
It would also prohibit the US government from taking any action or providing
any assistance in a manner that extends or implies United States
recognition of such a claim of sovereignty.
Not only would this prohibition apply to future Israeli annexations in the
West Bank; it would also appear to apply retroactively to Israels de facto
annexation of East Jerusalem part of the West Bank under international law
in 1967 and its de jure annexation in 1980.
The bill also includes a long list of the types of US funding that would be
denied to Israel to maintain its annexation of Palestinian land, including
the deployment of personnel, training, services, lethal materials,
equipment, facilities, logistics, transportation or any other activity.
Because the bill also prohibits US funding to facilitate or support the
unilateral annexation of such territory, it could also create a mechanism
to deny most or all US funding to Israel in occupied Palestinian territory.
This is because it is reasonable to suppose that all of Israels military
occupation would be geared toward facilitating and supporting its annexation
of Palestinian land.
Finally, the bill would create a certification and reporting requirement
mandating the State Department to provide Congress with a detailed annual
report specifying whether Israel violated the bills restrictions on US
funding.
This potentially creates a future mechanism to hold Israel accountable for
such violations.
UAE normalization changes nothing
In a strongly worded statement for publication in the Congressional Record,
McCollum stated that annexation will fuel conflict, injustice, and an
abhorrent system of apartheid.
McCollum also dismissed the significance of Thursdays announcement that
Israel had agreed to suspend its annexation plans in exchange for
normalization of relations with the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement changes nothing, she said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump have
taken nothing off the table, McCollum added. Their promises and
commitments are worthless. They have both proven time and time again that
they cannot be trusted.
Grounded in human rights
Original cosponsors of the bill offered similarly strong condemnation.
The Netanyahu government receives $3.8 billion in US taxpayer-funded
military handouts every year and, with the backing of the impeached
president, they have worked to further entrench an apartheid system, Tlaib
stated.
Ocasio-Cortez termed the bill an extension of our values, grounded in human
rights, international law and a commitment to freedom, equality and justice
for all people.
Our budgets are statements of our values, and we must state definitively
and unapologetically that our US taxpayer dollars will not be used to
support the unilateral annexation and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian
people, Pressley declared.
Omar decried annexation as a land theft and an aggressive exercise of
unilateral power.
Such forthright criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights are
still rare but are becoming increasingly prevalent in Congress.
Combined with the bills conditioning of US funding to Israel, the roll out
of this initiative is historic in its tone and significance.
Groups supporting the bill, such as American Muslims for Palestine, have
created action alerts for people to encourage other representatives to
become cosponsors of the bill.