Last night, the House of Representatives passed a bill co-led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) imposing sanctions on foreign persons, entities, and governments that provide support to Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in the midst of the war between Hamas and Israel.
“This unprovoked war has wreaked havoc upon thousands of lives and underscored why I will always stand with Israel and support our partner’s right to defend herself from those who seek her destruction,” Gottheimer said in a statement. “I’m proud that our bipartisan legislation has passed the House to ensure that we isolate and punish radical terrorist groups like Hamas and PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] by cutting off their financial resources at the moment our most historic ally in the Middle East needs it most.”
The bill, the Hamas International Financing Prevention Act, would require the president to issue reports on foreign entities that materially assist Hamas or PIJ and impose a variety of sanctions on those entities, including suspending U.S. assistance, seizing property held within the U.S., and denying exports of certain goods.
It passed the House on a widely bipartisan 363-46 vote, with most dissenters coming from the left wing of the Democratic caucus. Eleven of New Jersey’s 12 House members voted for the bill; ironically, the one exception was Gottheimer, who was meeting with several New Jersey rabbis last night and was unable to attend votes.