New NY bill would force divestment from companies that boycott Israel
A bill making its way through the state Senate would prohibit New York State from contracting with corporations boycotting Israel.
“BDS as we know it is an orchestrated movement to weaken and delegitimize Israel,” the bill’s sponsor, Long Island Sen. Anna Kaplan, said in an interview withThe New York Post, referring to the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement, which calls for institutions to divest from the Zionist regime.
“It is really important that we send a very strong message that New York stands with Israel and supports Israel, as we have done for decades," the US official added.
New York already has an anti-BDS policy as a result of a 2016 Executive Order issued by former Gov. Cuomo.
The bill came amid the widespread popularity of BDS movement among pro-Palestinian individuals and groups. The BDS movement has also gained significant momentum among US universities over the past years.