The Donald Trump administration has once again sparked controversy by imposing new requirements on states and cities in the United States (US) that want to receive federal disaster funds, which require them to declare that they will not boycott Israeli companies.
The requirements involve allocating at least $1.9 billion, to be used for various essential expenses such as emergency manager salaries, search and rescue equipment, and power support systems.
According to documents obtained by Reuters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stipulated that grant recipients must certify that they will not specifically cut off commercial relations with companies from Israel.
The same rule also applies to the $553.5 million in funds allocated for terrorism prevention in high-risk areas.
New York City is expected to receive the highest allocation of $92.2 million, based on the agency's analysis of the level of terrorism risk.
The move is seen as an effort to curb the influence of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has been gaining support since Hamas's attacks on southern Israel and Israel's military response in Gaza in 2023.
A spokeswoman for the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, described BDS as a movement rooted in antisemitism and stressed that her party would enforce all relevant anti-discrimination laws.
However, the requirement is considered more symbolic since at least 34 states in the US already have anti-BDS laws or policies.
The move has sparked concern among political observers who see it as another example of the use of federal funds to pressure states that have different political views from the federal government.
