Nevada Governor Signs Anti-BDS Bill
Gov. Brian Sandoval has made Nevada the 20th state to combat the BDS movement with legislation that the Israeli-American Coalition for Action championed in a large-scale grassroots campaign.
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a bill today that will ensure taxpayer money does not fund discriminatory economic boycotts of Israel. The Israeli-American community in Nevada, organized by the Israeli-American Coalition for Action (IAC for Action), spearheaded a major grassroots advocacy campaign in support of the bill that brought together a broad coalition of groups and secured bipartisan support.
The legislation states that the State of Nevada may not contract with or invest in companies that, for discriminatory or political purposes, boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) Israel. The measure also applies to local governments in Nevada, including Las Vegas. This is also the first anti-BDS legislation to make note of efforts to pass similar legislation at the federal level.
On May 24, the Nevada Assembly voted unanimously to pass SB 26, which was introduced by Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison. The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support from the State Senate, passing with a 19-2 vote on April 17.
“Nevadans of all backgrounds reject BDS and its discriminatory practices, and we are proud to be represented by a state government that stands against the BDS Movement,” said Neville Pokroy, the Chair of the IAC for Action Government Relations Committee in Nevada. “Thanks to the leadership of Lt. Gov. Hutchison and Assemblymember Ellen Spiegel, along with the support from our friends across the state in the Filipino, Hispanic, African American and Christian communities, we got our legislators to understand that this is not just an Israeli-American issue: it’s a Nevada issue.”
IAC for Action supporters visited legislators, sent thousands of letters and made hundreds of calls to express their growing concerns with international efforts to boycott Israel, one of Nevada’s major economic trading partners. Since 2003, Israeli firms have invested $1.7 billion and created more than 6,100 jobs in Nevada. Right now, several Israeli water tech companies are working in Nevada to secure the state’s water supply, thanks to a memorandum of understanding that IAC for Action championed. Nevada’s WaterStart, a public-private joint venture, signed the MOU with Israel’s National Technological Innovation Authority in March.
“Those who support the BDS movement want to discriminate against businesses, organizations, and institutions for associating with a key ally of the United States, Israel, and frequently demonize Americans with Israeli or Jewish heritage,” said Dillon Hosier, National Director of State Government Affairs at IAC for Action. “Nevada has very strong economic ties with Israeli companies in sectors like water sustainability, alternative energy and cyber security. This bill helps ensure that BDS cannot infiltrate this state to hurt Nevadans and their long-term economic interests.”
Gov. Sandoval has a long history of supporting the state of Israel, which includes leading a delegation to the country in 2013 to strengthen economic ties between Nevada and Israel, and serving as a keynote speaker at Israel’s WATEC — the world’s largest water tech conference.
This anti-BDS legislation is part of a national trend to curb the discriminatory environment fostered by the BDS movement. In recent years, BDS groups have targeted, harassed and in certain cases, physically assaulted those who support Israel or are Americans of Israeli descent, creating an unprecedented climate of intimidation and discrimination, particularly on college campuses. A wave of anti-Semitic rhetoric and anti-Israeli discriminatory activity across has caused significant concern among lawmakers.
Despite the efforts of the BDS Movement, collaboration between Israel and the United States is at an all-time high. Figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce show that trade between Israel and America has increased by nearly 40 percent since the present BDS campaign was launched in 2005. Israel is also America’s 20th-largest export market in the world, surpassing Russia and Spain.
“Businesses, academic institutions and state and local governmental entities in Israel and Nevada are entering into formal and informal partnerships—in areas from high tech and agriculture, to water management and medicine, to public health and culture,” IAC for Action Chairman Shawn Evenhaim said. “Legislation to counter the BDS Movement is necessary to support these collaborations, which will benefit the people of the U.S. and Israel, and also to curb the discrimination and demonization of Israeli and the Jewish community caused by the BDS Movement.”
About the Israeli-American Coalition for Action (IAC for Action): The IAC for Action is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates to policymakers on behalf of the Israeli-American community. A partner organization of the Israeli-American Council, the IAC for Action works to make the voices of Israeli-Americans heard on a range of issues at the federal, state, and local level.