– Missouri’s government uses financial leverage to prevent companies from boycotting Israel.
– Companies sign no-divestment from Israel agreements as a pre-condition for doing business in the state.
– Civil libertarians question the implications of this tactic for freedom of speech.
Missouri Pulls the Financial Strings
In an unorthodox maneuver to control how businesses in the state conduct their international affairs, Missouri has started using its financial clout. The state demands that all but the smallest companies promise they will refrain from joining any boycott, divestment or sanctions (commonly known as BDS) movements against Israel before they are permitted to do business with, or in, the state.
Keeping Business in Line
This approach plays out through governmental contracts, grants, and subsidies which all come with strings attached. In essence, Missouri will not do business with companies that are entertaining thoughts of financial actions against Israel.
Is this kosher?
While it appears to be a successful method of discouraging BDS movements against Israel, civil libertarians are raising flags. They see these state-imposed agreements as potential infringements on rights to freedom of speech.
The Breezy Take
While it’s not unheard of for governments to stipulate certain business practices as a condition for winning contracts, Missouri’s tactics open several hot-button issues. At its heart, this goes beyond the ethics of financial participation in controversial international situations—it’s also a matter of free speech. By requiring businesses to refrain from BDS movements against Israel, is Missouri quashing dissent or schlepping into the choppy waters of free speech rights? Regardless of where you stand on BDS against Israel, it’s important to be informed of the free speech implications, which can have wide-reaching effects on companies and individuals alike.
Original article: https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/10/24/missouri-anti-bds-israel-contracts/