Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire has issued an executive order aligning the state with 36 others in preventing state agencies from engaging with entities that support discriminatory boycotts against Israel and its trade partners. The executive order also adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism to combat antisemitism.
This executive order is a response to the recent report by the UNHRC’s Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Israel, which misrepresents anti-BDS legislation as an attack on free speech and influenced by Israel. The COI’s report echoes antisemitic tropes such as Jewish dual loyalty, conspiracy, and foreign influence. It also criticizes the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, undermining clarity on contemporary manifestations of antisemitism.
New Hampshire’s decision to join the other states in rejecting discriminatory boycotts against Israel demonstrates a resolute commitment to defending state interests and combating antisemitism.
The Israeli-American Coalition for Action (IAC for Action) praised Gov. Sununu’s announcement, making New Hampshire the 37th state to enact regulations against the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which promotes national-origin-based commercial discrimination against Israel, its trade partners and its supporters.
These laws protect the commercial operation of local companies doing business with Israeli companies and prevent the use of taxpayer money to promote national origin-based discrimination. Anti-BDS certifications in state contracts are similar to other non-discrimination provisions that protect on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin and veteran status.
“IAC For Action applauds Gov. Sununu for standing up against national origin discrimination and defending the deep cultural and commercial ties between Israel and New Hampshire. This executive order protects the freedom and liberty of New Hampshire businesses from the coercion and bullying tactics of the BDS hate movement,” said IAC for Action Chairman Shawn Evenhaim.
IAC For Action played a key role in helping to draft anti-BDS legislation in New Hampshire, and in other states.
“With this new policy, Gov. Sununu protects the state’s right to assert its own speech, and to decline to participate in antisemitic discrimination,” said IAC for Action’s Executive Director Joseph Sabag.
After Gov. Sununu issued the executive order, Ambassador Erdan also welcomed the New Hampshire law and pushed back against a recent UN Commission on Inquiry report that attacked the rights of US states to pass such anti-BDS legislation.
