The Senate is pushing a bill that intends to show clear support of Israel. The legislature would end relationships with any business that boycotts Israel and reauthorizes US aid to them. Coupled with the recent Israel Anti-Boycott Act (H.R.1697), it is clear that Trump’s pro-Israel attitude is shared by many of his constituents and legislators. This is speculated to be an intricate way to isolate “extremist” liberals from more moderate members of the party. This could cause some candidates to lose the Democratic party’s backing in an attempt to maintain most of the party’s numbers.
Many are against this bill because it directly opposes the efforts of BDS aka Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (a global movement against Israel). Some have raises questions over whether this restricts the free speech of individuals and its constitutionality. Critics say that freedom to petition is guaranteed by the 1st Amendment and that political speech is protected.
Jewish individuals statistically are more likely to vote Democrat. This puts them at odds with the rising wave of liberals who oppose Israel’s actions. With presidential candidates beginning to announce their campaigns, could this cause a split in the Democratic vote? Do you think a candidate’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could determine whether or not they are endorsed by superdelegates? Do you think this bill violates the Constitution?
It is quite difficult to say whether or not the bill violates the constitution. I currently do not know enough about it to formulate an opinion, so I would have to read more about it. I do think that it could potentially cause a split among Democratic voters in the next election. Israel has always been a controversial topic in the political realm, especially in more recent years with Trump´s pro- Israel stance. Though the future of the bill is unclear, it is certain that it will be major item of discussion in the upcoming election.
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