The Democratic governor signed an executive order for agencies under his control to divest themselves of companies and organizations aligned with a Palestinian-backed boycott movement against Israel, reported the New York Times.
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In a speech to The Harvard Club, Cuomo said NY would “lead by example”.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement on Thursday accused Israel of being responsible for a series of cyber attacks against the campaign’s website in February and March.
NY and Israel share an unbreakable bond and I pray that the Israeli and Palestinian people will find a way to live side by side and find peace, prosperity and security.
The Israel Project (TIP) today applauded New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for taking a strong stance against efforts to single out Israel for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). The list will be available to the public and be based on “credible information”.
World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder also praised the NY governor for his stance, saying: “In the face of rising anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments around the world, Governor Cuomo has shown that NY supports its Jewish community and values America’s friendship with the State of Israel”.
Even more disturbing, Cuomo’s Executive Order requires that one of his Commissioners compile “a list of institutions and companies” which – “either directly or through a parent or subsidiary” – support a boycott.
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III”.
The move was met with approval by Israel’s UN Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, who said in a press statement, “Governor Cuomo’s announcement is another effective strike against those seeking to harm Israel”.
“Peace takes two. Calling for a boycott of Israel and putting the blame exclusively on Israel, which is what BDS does, pushes peace further away”.
The New York legislature attempted to push through an anti-boycott motion for months due to pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups, but was unsuccessful.
“I am signing an executive order that says very clearly we are against the BDS movement”, Cuomo wrote on Twitter.
Attorney Rahul Saksena told Salon back in January it was “frightening” that there could be state employees “scouring the internet for pro-BDS Facebook posts, tweets and news articles”.
Baher Azmy, the legal director of the nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights, says Cuomo’s action violates the First Amendment protection of free speech and is a form of “21st century McCarthyism”.
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ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow said the “unambiguous goal of the worldwide BDS movement is the elimination of the state of Israel”. The letter stated the legislation would create “unconstitutional blacklists” of “individuals and/or entities that exercise their constitutional right to utilize boycott as a form of free speech”.
