WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Israel Project today commended Arkansas state legislators for passing a law that prohibits state agencies from contracting with, or investing in, companies that participate in the discriminatory Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. The legislation is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Hutchinson.
Despite the preponderance of totalitarian regimes and human rights-abusing governments throughout the world, proponents of BDS focus all their attention on demonizing the only Jewish state – a state that shares immutable values with the United States. The founders of this insidious initiative have openly stated that their goal is for Israel to cease to exist.
The bill passed today ensures that taxpayer funds will not support this unabashed anti-Semitism, and reaffirms the strong relationship between Arkansas and Israel.
The sponsors of this bipartisan legislation are Rep. Jim Dotson and Sen. Bart Hester. The bill passed in the House 69-3 and in the Senate 29-0.
“Israel and Arkansas are great friends, and I thank the people of Arkansas for supporting this essential relationship, which is based on shared values,” said The Israel Project CEO and President Josh Block. “By passing this bill today, Arkansans are standing strong against discrimination, and are solidly on the right side of history.”
Arkansas is the latest of more than a dozen states to pass this legislation, following similar victories most recently in Michigan and Ohio.
About The Israel Project
The Israel Project (TIP) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization thatprovides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policymakers and the public. Founded in 2003, TIP works in multiple languages to provide real-time background information, images, maps, audio, video, graphics and direct access to newsmakers. To learn more about TIP, visit http://www.theisraelproject.org.