B’nai B’rith International commends the Illinois State House of Representatives Executive Committee for its 10-0 passage of Illinois Senate Bill 1761, Amendment 3. This piece of legislation takes a stand against anti-Israel discrimination by barring state pension funds from including companies that participate in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. B’nai B’rith urges the House of Representatives to move forward and  pass the bill, so Gov. Bruce Rauner can sign it into law.

The bill already passed in the Illinois State Senate with a 49-0 vote.

The bill requires the state’s pension systems to remove Israel-boycotting companies from their portfolios. This amendment is based on existing legislation that the Illinois Investment Policy Board currently enforces, mandating that state pension funds be divested from foreign firms doing business in Iran, Sudan or other countries with known human rights violations.

The BDS movement attempts to push governments, universities, labor unions and private companies into taking baseless economic action against the Jewish state and works to demonize the only democracy in the Middle East.

B’nai B’rith applauds Illinois citizens and their representatives for taking such a strong stance against a movement rooted in anti-Semitism that ultimately impedes the peace process by opposing constructive dialogue between Israel and Palestinians.