Congresswoman Tenney Leads Letter to Treasury Urging Review of Ireland’s Boycott of Israel Under U.S. Anti-Boycott Law

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) is leading a letter with 15 House Republican colleagues calling on Treasury Secretary Bessent to investigate whether Ireland’s proposed boycott of Israel violates U.S. anti-boycott law. The effort urges the Department of the Treasury to conduct a formal review under Section 999 of the Internal Revenue Code and consider adding Ireland to the list of countries that require or may require participation in international boycotts against the U.S. or its allies.

Rep. Tenney continues to lead efforts in Congress to confront the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and push back against international attempts to economically isolate America’s closest ally in the Middle East. The letter reaffirms her commitment to ensuring that anti-Semitic discrimination is met with real consequences under U.S. law.

Last month, the Irish government introduced legislation to ban the import of goods from territories under Israeli administration, including Judea and Samaria, parts of Jerusalem, Gaza, and the Golan Heights. This legislation aligns with the global BDS movement, which seeks to delegitimize Israel and create legal uncertainty for U.S. companies operating abroad. If adopted, the measure could subject Ireland to disclosure and reporting requirements under Section 999, impacting foreign investment and bilateral trade.

“Ireland’s proposed boycott is a blatant attempt to isolate and delegitimize Israel on the world stage. This proposed boycott is discriminatory, dangerous, and would violate U.S. law. The Treasury Department has the duty to enforce the law, protect American businesses, and hold countries accountable when they promote foreign boycotts against our allies. The United States will not stay silent while our allies are targeted by hostile political agendas,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

"U.S. allies and adversaries across the world are on notice. There will be consequences to their immoral attempts to economically attack Israel. U.S. law that was designed to combat this type of discrimination against the Jewish state must be rigorously enforced,” said American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

“U.S. law is clear: countries that engage in economic discrimination against Israel invite increased scrutiny and risk. The United States must continue to draw a firm line against foreign efforts to isolate our democratic ally Ireland’s proposed legislation to ban certain Israeli goods aligns with the antisemitic boycott movement and should not go unanswered. FDD Action applauds Congresswoman Tenney for leading the charge to ensure accountability and uphold consequences should Ireland move forward with this discriminatory proposal,” said Nick Stewart, Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Action’s Senior Director of Government Relations.

“I am sickened and outraged by the proposed Irish legislation. Every instance of BDS should be opposed, and it is appropriate for the Secretary of the Treasury to invoke the existing US laws against participation by country in boycotts of Israel. The proposed law goes beyond simple BDS, though- It allows for the importation of products made in the same area by non-Jews. Ireland is overtly discriminating against Jewish residents of the targeted area while allowing normal commerce with non-Jews. This idea is Jew-hatred at its core. Even worse, the targeted area is the Jewish heart of the land of Israel- Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Golan- where the stories we read in the Bible unfolded. I thank Rep. Tenney and the other signers of this letter for their leadership on drawing attention to this proposed law before it can be enacted,” said Morton Klein, National President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).

"The radically anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli bill that Ireland’s parliament is now considering is deeply alarming. It is a Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) effort targeting Israel. If Ireland passes this legislation, it may qualify to be listed and penalized under US law (Section 999 of the IRS Code), which is intended to discourage countries from deploying sanctions against friendly nations, including Israel. The United States must speak out against these unjustifiable measures to boycott Israel and marginalize one of our key allies," said Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council.

Read the full letter here.

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