The United States’ House of Representatives has approved a bill that categorises products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as being from “Israel.”
The legislation, known as the “Anti-BDS Labeling Act,” reinforces a Trump-era policy that critics argue undermines Palestinians’ UN-recognised territorial claims and supports Israel’s annexation efforts while targeting the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which advocates for Palestinian human rights.
Originally introduced by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020, the policy has now moved closer to becoming permanent US law. Sponsored by Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney of New York, the bill passed with a vote of 231 to 189, garnering support from 16 Democrats, including some of the party’s most pro-Israel members. It mandates that products from the occupied West Bank and Gaza be labelled separately, thereby eliminating the recognition of their unified identity. Labels will now read either “West Bank” or “Gaza,” rather than “West Bank and Gaza.”
Additionally, the proposal stipulates that most products from the occupied West Bank will be labelled as “Product of Israel” or “Made in Israel.” Critics warn that this legislation complicates efforts to support Palestinian rights by making it more difficult to boycott products from illegal settlements.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), the sole Palestinian-American member of Congress, condemned the bill as a move towards ethnic cleansing, asserting, “A ‘yes’ vote for this bill erases the existence of Palestinians.” She emphasised that Palestinians also have a right to exist and highlighted the concerning trend of conservative lawmakers inciting hostility towards Arabs and Muslims.
Tlaib pointed to a recent hearing where Senator John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) made derogatory remarks towards Arab-American expert Maya Berry, saying, “hide [your] head in a bag.” She characterised the bill’s provisions as carrying hateful and discriminatory implications, calling for unity against it.
The bill will proceed to the finance committee next week. If it passes in the Senate, it will further complicate efforts by advocates for Palestinian rights to support Palestinian-made products while boycotting Israeli goods. The Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project noted that consumers deserve to know if a product comes from an illegal Israeli settlement before making a purchase.
Critics assert that this legislation reflects Congress’s ongoing erosion of Palestinians’ right to self-determination. Internationally, however, the International Court of Justice has deemed Israel’s occupation illegal, and the UN recently voted in favour of a resolution calling for the end of the occupation within the next year, based on the ICJ’s ruling.
Advocates for Palestine express growing challenges in the US, with this bill underscoring the difficulties they face in their efforts.