The Trump administration says it will deny federal funding for natural disaster preparedness to states and cities that sever ties with Israeli companies.
In grant notices posted Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that states and cities which fail to meet certain “terms and conditions” will not receive a share of the $1.9 billion in federal funding allocated for state disaster relief. Among those conditions is a requirement that states and cities not sever “commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies.” The funds help pay for rescue equipment, backup power systems, emergency manager salaries, and other expenses.
“DHS will enforce all anti-discrimination laws and policies, including as it relates to the BDS movement, which is expressly grounded in antisemitism,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in a statement.
The decision is seen as largely symbolic. Currently there are no states or cities in the United States that are boycotting Israeli companies, and 34 states already have enacted anti-BDS laws in recent years.
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