Roskam's anti UN BDS bill ignores Palestinian humanitarian catastrophe

My congressman Peter Roskam (IL-6) is co-sponsor of the Protecting Israel From Economic Discrimination Act. It opposes the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution calling for companies both within and outside Israel not to do business with illegal Israeli settlements within occupied Palestinian territory. Such settlements are illegal and immoral; being prohibited by UN Resolution 242 of 1968, in the aftermath of the 1967 Israeli Arab war. It called for return of occupied territories gained by war. It has been US policy since then to honor UN 242, return Palestinian land so occupied, end Israeli settlement building and create a Palestinian state with permanent Palestinian Israeli borders. But Israeli settlements continue apace with over 600,000 Israelis enjoying Israeli citizenship in the occupied territories while 4,500,000 Palestinians remain stateless under horrid, often inhuman conditions as Israel builds its one state solution nullifying, Palestinian statehood.

The current UN Human Rights Council resolution is a legal and constructive way to counter Illegal Israeli activity which has created one of the world's worst human rights violations. But Roskam positions his bill without ever mentioning the plight of the Palestinians; indeed without ever uttering their name. He only refers to the resolution as the UN "working to engage in politically charged economic warfare against Israel", designed "to strangle Israel’s economy and coerce Israel into unilateral concessions."

Would a Congressman Roskam of 1936 condemn similar efforts to engage in an economic boycott of Germany to lift horrid restrictions on their marginalized Jewish citizens? Would a Congressman Roskam of 1956 condemn similar efforts to mount an economic boycott of US southern states over their racist Jim Crow laws dehumanizing their marginalized black citizens? Yet, when it comes to weakening Israel's Middle East rival Iran, Roskam is all in for the most severe economic sanctions possible, even opposing the the 5 + 1 Iran nuclear deal which likely prevented war with Iran.

Congressman Roskam can surely see but refuses to acknowledge the brutal, inhumane treatment Israel imposes on arguably the most marginalized people on Earth. Instead of supporting a radical Israeli regime which may be self-destructing in its zeal to push the Palestinians into the sea, Roskam should support decades long US policy to return appropriated Palestinian land, end illegal, immoral settlements and work toward a viable two state solution. Enabling continuation of atrocious human rights violations is not noble governance. If Roskam really wants to help Israel thrive and proper, he should push the US to become the 138th country to recognize the state of Palestine. Supporting full worldwide recognition of Palestine may be Israel's best hope for true peace and security, and its support would make Roskam a true Friend of Israel.