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Anti-Boycott Victory in New York State

 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

By Simon Pelsmakher
Bnai Brith Canada

The Empire State has dealt a severe blow to the Israel Boycott and Sanctions movement.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order requiring agencies under his purview to divest from companies and organizations aligned with the anti-Israel Boycott and Sanctions movement.

Speaking at the Harvard Club in Manhattan, Cuomo argued that the movement is an “economic attack” on the Jewish State. He went on to state that “If you boycott Israel, New York will boycott you.”

The New York State executive order is the latest brick in what is now a massive wall of anti-boycott legislation and rulings. In January, New York’s State Senate passed anti-boycott legislation. In March, Illinois became the first US State to bar companies and firms from doing business with Illinois if they boycott Israel. It officially listed 11 such companies such as the British security firm BS4, ASN Bank of the Netherlands, Electrocomponents of Britain, Swedish Bank Nordea, and others. Governor Cuomo has vowed to draw together a similar list.

California, Arizona, Alaska, Florida, and Massachusetts have passed or are in the process of reviewing similar anti-BS legislation. In total, more than twenty US states and jurisdictions (including the US Senate) have passed or are in the process of passing anti-boycott legislation.

Premier Kathleen Wynne of Ontario has pledged to bring forward an anti-boycott motion in Ontario, and the House of Commons passed a motion earlier this year condemning the Boycott and Sanctions movement. France and the United Kingdom have also come out strongly opposing the BS movement.