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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The State of Israel, the only democracy in the |
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Middle East, is a great friend and ally of the United States of |
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America, and Texas and Israel have a long history of friendship in |
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support of each other's interests; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas has signed multiple cooperative agreements |
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with Israel that have increased our connections and interactions in |
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the areas of business, government, art, culture, and education, and |
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elected Texas officials have been making mission trips to Israel |
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since 2003; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite previously expressed support from the Lone |
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Star State, there have been increasing incidents of anti-Semitism |
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around the world and in Texas, and the international Boycott, |
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Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is one of the main |
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vehicles for spreading anti-Semitism and for advocating the |
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elimination of the Jewish state; and |
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WHEREAS, The preponderance of anti-Israel activities and the |
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promotion of the BDS movement, in Texas communities in general and |
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on university campuses specifically, have resulted in threats |
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against Jewish students and have deliberately interfered with the |
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learning environment of all students, particularly in the negative |
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impact of these activities on student programming related to the |
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State of Israel and politics in the Middle East; and |
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WHEREAS, The call of the BDS campaign for academic boycotts |
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has been condemned as a violation of the bedrock principle of |
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academic freedom by many of our nation's largest academic |
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associations, hundreds of university presidents, and a number of |
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other leading scholars; and |
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WHEREAS, Elected representatives of Texas defend the |
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inalienable right to free speech and understand that the goals and |
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activities of BDS campaigns in Texas are harmful to the state's |
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relationships with its Jewish citizens and with Israel and have a |
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deleterious impact on the educational environment; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby condemn the international Boycott, Divestment, and |
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Sanctions movement and its activities to spread anti-Semitism in |
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Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That activities that contribute, directly or |
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indirectly, to the denial, violation, or delegitimization of any |
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people's academic freedom, including, but not limited to, promotion |
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of academic boycotts by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions |
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movement against Israel, be denounced; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the international Boycott, Divestment, and |
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Sanctions movement and its agenda be considered inherently |
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antithetical and deeply damaging to the causes of peace, justice, |
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equality, democracy, and human rights for all peoples in the Middle |
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East; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That support for the State of Israel be reaffirmed |
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and that the Jewish people be recognized as indigenous to the land |
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of Israel and that they be supported in their right to engage in |
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lawful acts of self-defense. |