A federal court ruled that an anti-BDS law that required companies doing business with the state of Arkansas to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel was constitutional.
Press Releases and Statements
Find American Jewish Committee's latest press releases, official statements, and noteworthy announcements below.
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AJC Praises New York Decision to Disinvest in Unilever for Ben & Jerry’s Boycott of Israel
American Jewish Committee praised New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s decision to pull pension fund investments out of Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s. The ice cream maker announced in July that it would cease selling its products in the West Bank. “Comptroller DiNapoli has demonstrated that boycotting Israel has consequences,” said Marc Stern, AJC Chief Legal Officer. “Unilever’s failure to undo Ben & Jerry’s misguided decision to stop selling its ice cream in the West Bank contravenes state government laws across the United States.”
AJC Applauds New Jersey Treasury Department Action on Ben & Jerry’s
American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauds the preliminary determination by the New Jersey Department of Treasury’s Division of Investment that Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company, Unilever, have engaged in a boycott of Israel. Under New Jersey’s 2016 law on Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS), state pension funds must divest from investments in any business that engages in boycotts of Israel.
AJC Applauds Burlington City Council for Rejecting Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Resolution
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, applauds the Burlington City Council’s decision to withdraw a non-binding resolution supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel. The resolution will be sent back to the Council’s Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee for further discussion.
American Jewish Committee Applauds Ben & Jerry’s U.S. Franchisees Letter of Concerns
Ben and Jerry’s franchisees in the United States are calling on the company to “re-examine and withdraw” its decision to stop selling its ice cream in the West Bank and its threat to discontinue operations in Israel. American Jewish Committee Chief Legal Officer Marc D. Stern praised the franchisees for their honesty and passion in directly communicating their concerns.
AJC Applauds Cambridge City Council for Voting Down Boycott, Divestment, Sanction Resolution
American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauds the Cambridge City Council’s rejection tonight of a resolution supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel and Hewlett Packard (HP).
AJC Dismayed By Court Ruling On Arkansas BDS Statute
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is disappointed by today’s United States Court of Appeals for Eighth Circuit decision in Arkansas Times v. Waldrip.
AJC Commends Governor Mike Parson for Signing Anti-BDS Bill into Law
“This law is about trade not politics, and it has the potential to create jobs and economic growth for Missourians, Palestinians and Israelis,” said American Jewish Committee (AJC) St. Louis Director Nancy Lisker. “We are grateful for the leadership of Governor Parson and for the dogged determination of its lead sponsors, Senator Dr. Bob Onder and Representative Holly Rehder, for championing this important legislation.”
AJC Applauds Missouri Legislature Passage of Anti-BDS Bill
American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauds the Missouri Legislature for overwhelmingly passing today SB 739, the "Anti-Discrimination Against Israel Act."
AJC Deplores UN Blacklisting Firms Active in West Bank
“The world body’s endless hypocrisy and double standards toward Israel are staggering,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “Of all the situations in the world in which territory is disputed, the UN chooses only to focus on Israel. Why? We call on Secretary General Guterres to denounce this outrageous assault on the Jewish state.
AJC Applauds South Dakota Executive Order Banning Boycotts of Israel
AJC commends South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for signing an executive order prohibiting state offices from doing business with companies that boycott Israel.
AJC Urges Appellate Court to Uphold Texas Law Against BDS
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is urging the United States Court of Appeals to uphold a Texas law that bars the state from engaging the services of contractors involved in boycotts of Israeli products and services.
AJC Brief Urges Federal Court to Uphold Arkansas Anti-BDS Law
AJC is urging a federal appellate court to affirm a lower court ruling that the Arkansas Times has no grounds in challenging the validity of a two-year old statute barring state government contractors from engaging in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
AJC Praises Pitzer College President Oliver’s Decision to Preserve Haifa University Program
American Jewish Committee (AJC) praised Pitzer College President Melvin L. Oliver for his principled stance in affirming that a study abroad partnership with the University of Haifa in Israel will continue despite a vote by the school’s College Council recommending that the program cease to operate.
AJC Welcomes Decision to Strip Malaysia of Para Swimming Championships Due to Ban on Israeli Athletes
American Jewish Committee (AJC) has welcomed the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board’s decision to strip Malaysia of the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, due to the country’s refusal to admit Israeli athletes.
Thousands Join AJC in Calling on Paralympics to Condemn Malaysian Ban on Israeli Athletes, Relocate Swimming Championship
Thousands of people from over 75 countries have joined the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in calling on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to condemn Malaysia’s ban on Israeli athletes and relocate the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, set to take place in Kuching, to a country willing to welcome athletes of all nationalities.
AJC Urges Appellate Court to Remove Block on Arizona Anti-BDS Law
“Arizona lawmakers, like state officials across the country, recognize that the BDS campaign aims to single out Israel for punitive action and does not offer a path to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace,” said AJC General Counsel Marc Stern.
AJC Applauds University of Michigan for Disciplining Anti-Israel Professor
AJC welcomed the University of Michigan administration decision to bring disciplinary actions against John Cheney-Lippold, the tenured associate professor who refused to write a letter of recommendation for a student applying to study in Israel.
AJC Honors Ohio State University and University of Michigan Hillels for Pro-Israel Advocacy
AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, honored Jewish students involved with Hillel at The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan for their courageous advocacy efforts against BDS.
AJC Brief Calls on Court to Uphold Arizona Anti-BDS Law
AJC is calling on a federal court to uphold an Arizona law supportive of the state’s relations with Israel and to oppose efforts to declare the measure unconstitutional.