Loyalty Oath

This week, the Trump administration reversed its decision to link disaster relief funds with loyalty pledges to Israel. Originally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had published a statement declaring that states and cities had to certify that they wouldn’t boycott Israeli companies in order to qualify for disaster relief. Under DHS’s standard terms and conditions it reads, “Recipients must comply with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws material to the government’s payment decisions” and adds: Discriminatory prohibited boycott means refusing to deal, cutting commercial relations, or otherwise limiting commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or with companies doing business in or with Israel or authorized by, licensed by, or organized under the laws of Israel to do business. The story quickly made the rounds on social media, prompting it to remove the statement from its website.