Washington – A Republican congresswoman introduced a bill to prevent the federal government from working with companies that support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement last week.

The "Anti-Israel Hatred" bill, tabled by New York's Claudia Tenney, dubs the grassroots Palestinian boycott campaign as an "blatantly anti-Semitic movement" and to stop "a single American tax dollar" from reaching the movement. 

The bill comes on the heels of legislation passed by 36 states against BDS. 

"If we enact anti-Israel hate law under the Federal Contractors Act, we will send a powerful message that we stand firm against anti-Semitism and efforts to delegitimize one of our greatest allies," Rep. Tenney said.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) expressed concerns about the move, which it argues contradict the freedom of expression and association enshrined in the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. 

Founded in 2005, the BDS movement aims to ramp up international pressure on Israel to change its policies and actions toward the Palestinian people.