Jewish Voice For Peace is an American liberal, Jewish organisation whose membership is mostly young. I happen to be a member. JVP reports that Congressional leaders are quietly pushing through fast-track legislation for the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) trade agreements currently being negotiated in secrecy and opposed by labor and environmental groups. Congress has added amendments to the legislation that would discourage and penalize boycotts against Israel and, more importantly, erase the distinction between Israel and the Palestinian territories it occupies, thus apparently recognizing in an international treaty the incorporation of the West Bank into Israel. Amendments passed last week to the ‘Fast Track’ call for US negotiators to make it illegal for organizations to continue human rights boycotts and divestment campaigns against Israel. This is now one of the “principal U.S trade negotiating objectives” and has been vigorously promoted by AIPAC.

On Wednesday April 22, the Senate Finance Committee passed the Cardin amendment to the Trade Promotion Authority S. 995 which incorporates the language of a previously introduced bill (The US-Israel Trade Enhancement Act of 2015 S.619). On Thursday April 23, the House Ways and Means Committee incorporated similar language into its version of
the Fast-Track bill based on the previously introduced bill (The US-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act H.R. 825). Both amendments are to the “Fast Track” Trade Promotion Authority legislation that will strip Congress of the ability to amend “trade” legislation.

See the following post for an explanation of why this yet another damaging aspect of TTP and TTIP.