BREAKING NEWS

Maryland joins nearly half of American states with anti-BDS laws

OCTOBER 24, 2017 01:59

WASHINGTON — The state of Maryland has adopted a rule barring companies that engage in boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel from receiving local government contracts, joining 22 other American states with similar laws.

Maryland's Republican governor, Larry Hogan, issued an executive order enshrining the new provision. "Boycotts based on religion, national origin, place of residence or ethnicity are discriminatory," Hogan said, announcing the move alongside local Jewish leaders. "Contracting with businesses that practice discrimination would make the state a passive participant in private-sector commercial discrimination."

The nation's largest states have already taken similar action– either through state legislative work or gubernatorial executive order– including Florida, California, New York, Illinois and Texas.

And legislation has been proposed on Congress that would codify these conditions for US business on a federal level. The Israel Anti-Boycott Act, introduced by Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland and Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio this past summer, has earned bipartisan cosponsors, but drawn criticism from civil liberties groups fearing the move would infringe on constitutionally-protected freedom of speech.

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