Kentucky became the 26th state to prevent their state government from entering into contracts with companies that engage in boycotts of Israel.
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) signed the executive order barring the Israel boycotts on Thursday; the executive order states that “Israel is a critical and invaluable ally” that is singled out by “a boycott that threatens its sovereignty and security.”
The executive order also calls the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement discriminatory that “serves to inflame conflict” and lauds the nearly $85 million in goods and services that trade with Israel provides the state of Kentucky.
“The Commonwealth of Kentucky should take action to protect its trade relationships, and thereby the welfare of its citizens and economy, and to renounce restrictive trade practices based upon discrimination, such as the BDS movement,” the executive order states.
Bevin said in a statement, “We will not allow state resources to benefit entities that intentionally engage in discriminatory practices to harm the sovereignty and economic prosperity of any ally nation.”
“Today’s executive order makes it clear that Kentucky condemns the BDS movement and that we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our friend, Israel,” Bevin added.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said in front of the state capitol that BDS is an anti-Semitic movement because it treats “the Jewish people by a different standard than you treat other people around the world.”
StandWithUs CEO and co-founder Roz Rothstein said in a statement sent to the Journal via email, “The fact that over half the states have adopted anti-BDS legislation is a blow to the bigoted BDS campaign. States and the American people are sending a clear message: doing business with companies which engage in discriminatory conduct against the only Jewish state in the world which is also an American ally and trading partner is not in our best interests, not in Israel’s interests and certainly not in the interest of peace.”
“We welcome the Bluegrass state’s partnership with Israel, the Blue Star state,” Rothstein added.