New York Governor Cuomo Takes Fight Up To BDS, BDS-Holes Seethe
Being someone who believes in playing offense and not just defense, I may have been one of the first people to encourage the boycott of BDS-holes.
The idea has certainly caught on over the years, and now we have a very high-profile exponent of this: New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who just signed an unprecedented executive order for agencies under his control to divest from companies and organizations aligned with BDS.
Cuomo told his audience at the private social club, “If you boycott against Israel, New York will boycott you. If you divert revenues from Israel, New York will divert revenues from you. If you sanction Israel, New York will sanction you.”
The order gives the Office of General Services generous leeway to compose a list over the next six months of any groups engaged in, “boycott, divestment or sanctions actively targeting Israel, either directly or through a parent or subsidiary.” The list will be available to the public and be based on “credible information.”
Once all the names are named, executive-branch agencies—including public-benefit corporations, public boards, and much of the state government— will be obligated to divest from any group on the list.
We made a unity trip to Israel because they were under attack. Today, Israel is under attack on a different level. https://t.co/O3oXmEdnXp
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 5, 2016
I am signing an Executive Order that says very clearly we are against the BDS movement. If you boycott Israel, New York will boycott you.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 5, 2016
Today's Executive Order directs state entities to divest all public funds supporting the BDS campaign against Israel pic.twitter.com/rCRXXN2uIv
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 5, 2016
I’m proud to sign this nation’s leading executive order, which will help protect Israel from threat of divestment. https://t.co/K4irMQbv23
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 5, 2016
New York stands in solidarity with Israel today and always. Photos from today's EO signing: https://t.co/mp78LCiNXT pic.twitter.com/0E377IhodW
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 5, 2016
Needless to say, much seething has ensued.
Omar Barghouti, a founder of B.D.S., told the New York Times in an email that Cuomo’s actions are a sign of waning popular support for Israel in New York and beyond, “Having lost many battles for hearts and minds at the grass-roots level, Israel has adopted since 2014 a new strategy to criminalize support for B.D.S. from the top,” Barghouti wrote.
Governor 1% threatens corporations, but only in defense of apartheid https://t.co/nTODjL7XdT
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) June 5, 2016
New York imposing McCarthyite blacklist based on political views of citizens by decree of @NYGovCuomo https://t.co/aAXBDlDvR5
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) June 5, 2016
What Israel and its thuggish lobby can't achieve by persuasion they obtain via repression and coercion. https://t.co/aAXBDlDvR5
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) June 5, 2016
NY state blacklist of BDS activists was dropped from legislation. @NYGovCuomo imposing it by decree. McCartyhism. https://t.co/NZitoLDgI3
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) June 5, 2016
Cuomo exploited legacy of Muhammad Ali, big supporter of Palestinian liberation, hours before signing anti-BDS order pic.twitter.com/0RC9KfOsiV
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) June 5, 2016
NY Gov. Cuomo signs “unconstitutional, McCarthyite” pro-Israel exec. order punishing BDS boycott movementhttps://t.co/YAznCttHN5
— Salon (@Salon) June 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/sweetlovebo/status/739671763618009089
Notice the complaints of McCarthyism by the very people who have been punishing Jewish businesses – whether in pre-1967 Israel or beyond the Green Line – for years now. The hypocrisy is astounding.
Update: This may catch on.
Senator Chuck Schumer, speaking to reporters at an unrelated press conference on Sunday, said he would seek to introduce the same idea to fight BDS on a federal level. “I think what the governor has done is an excellent idea,” Schumer told reporters. “I think that the state (of New York) should not do any business with any company that participates in BDS, and I am looking at introducing a federal law to do the same thing. BDS is a movement that is just totally unfair to Israel. They hold Israel to one standard and hold the other countries, including those who are sworn enemies to Israel, to another standard.”
Update: And of course the news has brought out the less subtle Jew haters (hat tip: tayaraherzl).
https://twitter.com/420patriot1776/status/739466281301073920
https://twitter.com/voxday/status/739488058219868160
https://twitter.com/gentjimcrow/status/739486338274054147
https://twitter.com/waterboardahmed/status/739512203678646273
https://twitter.com/Smeggypants/status/739642758990860289
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