Trump ties US states' disaster funding to support for Israeli firms
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Trump orders FEMA to deny disaster funds to states boycotting Israeli firms, sparking backlash over free speech and anti-BDS policies.
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Protesters gather on the steps of the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, and call on members of the Mississippi State Legislature to vote no on the renewal and expansion of Mississippi's Israel Support Act of 2019, Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (AP)
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that states will be denied access to disaster preparedness funding if they boycott companies linked to the Israeli occupation. The agency cited a directive from President Donald Trump requiring state governments to formally declare they will not sever commercial ties with Israeli firms as a condition for receiving federal aid.
According to FEMA, the requirement applies to approximately $1.9 billion in federal funding, which states rely on to finance emergency response programs, including search and rescue equipment and personnel salaries.
This move is seen as part of Trump's ongoing support for "Israel", using punitive financial measures against any public body or institution that expresses solidarity with Palestine or criticizes the Israeli regime.
Attack on free speech
During his previous term, Trump imposed similar conditions on US universities, threatening to cut federal funding unless they took action against pro-Palestine student activism, particularly the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, under the pretext of combating "antisemitism".
The decision has sparked significant controversy within the US, as many warn it constitutes a clear violation of free speech and an attempt to enforce political loyalty to pro-Israeli agendas through federal financial pressure.
As student protests and movements increasingly gained momentum, hundreds of arrests were made as police tried to thwart their efforts, and the government mobilized to introduce legislation that would ultimately punish those participating.
Israeli lobbyists and the Israeli government are relentlessly pressuring US government officials to take more action against such movements in an effort to silence the criticism targeted toward "Israel" and demands to divest from the occupation.
'Israel' concerned over academic boycott
Israeli media reports indicate evidence of academic boycotts against Israeli researchers in foreign universities, amid growing concerns about international boycotts.
The reports also stated that Israeli Minister of Education, Yifat Shasha-Biton, said she "intends to present a practical plan to the government as soon as possible, but such a plan requires a large budget."
Amid the protests at major universities in the US condemning Israeli aggression in Gaza, there are increasing estimates that "Israel" is facing an unprecedented academic boycott, while the occupation government is not taking action against it.
Israeli media highlighted that such boycotts could endanger Israeli academia and severely damage the economy.
According to Israeli Professor Manuel Trahtemberg, President of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and former Chair of the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education, "International relations are the oxygen tube for academia, and academia is the oxygen tube for security and high-tech industries. If it is damaged, academia will suffer unprecedented damage, followed by the economy and security industries."
