Republicans’ very first bill in the new Senate is highlighting divisions among Democrats over boycotts of Israel and its West Bank settlements while drawing the traditionally nonpartisan pro-Israel lobby further into a partisan political quagmire.
The Senate failed 56-44 to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to clear a procedural hurdle on the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act, introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Rubio’s legislation consists of four Middle East-related bills that had been held up in the last Congress, including a provision taking aim at the pro-Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.