# Andrew Cuomo issues executive order against anti-Israel divestment campaigns **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 7, 2016, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690 "2016-06-07T00:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/1 "2016-06-07T00:11:27Z")
> While I’m a big supporter of Israel and most of their actions, this is unacceptable to me. If private people want to do private counter boycotts against organizations that divest from Israel, that’s fine, but governments shouldn’t be taking sides in such a hamfisted way. More details from Reason: > **[Andrew Cuomo's Executive Order on Israel Boycott Is Brazenly Autocratic](https://reason.com/2016/06/06/andrew-cuomos-executive-order-on-israel/)** > > Governor says the legislative process is "a tedious affair." > [@](#): > > According to the executive order, Mr. Cuomo will command the commissioner of the Office of General Services to devise a list over the next six months of businesses and groups engaged in any “boycott, divestment or sanctions activity targeting Israel, either directly or through a parent or subsidiary.” > > The list will be compiled from “credible information available to the public,” according to the order, and subject to appeal by the companies and entities included on it. Once the designation process is completed, however, all executive-branch agencies and departments — which make up a large portion of state government — as well as public boards, authorities, commissions and all public-benefit corporations will be required to divest themselves of any company on the list. Reason questions whether it’s even legal for him to do this by executive order and I have to concur. What law empowers Gov. Cuomo to take this action? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/2 "2016-06-07T00:26:51Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > [x.com](https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/739456398698909696) > > While I’m a big supporter of Israel and most of their actions, this is unacceptable to me. If private people want to do private counter boycotts against organizations that divest from Israel, that’s fine, but governments shouldn’t be taking sides in such a hamfisted way. > > More details from Reason: > > [Andrew Cuomo's Executive Order on Israel Boycott Is Brazenly Autocratic](http://reason.com/blog/2016/06/06/andrew-cuomos-executive-order-on-israel) > > Reason questions whether it’s even legal for him to do this by executive order and I have to concur. What law empowers Gov. Cuomo to take this action? Isn’t it justified by the same rationale used by those government entities that boycott certain US states for their politics? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/3 "2016-06-07T00:30:42Z")
Well, the Governor is allowed to give instructions to executive branch agencies, and I’d assume the agencies are able to make their own standards about purchases so long as they don’t violate state or federal law. This doesn’t ban organizations from divesting in Israel; it just says that state executive branch agencies can’t enter into contracts with them. There are other restrictions on New York State contractors…the state can’t enter into contracts to buy tropical hardwoods, can’t contract with business in Northern Ireland that don’t commit to employment nondiscrimination, can’t enter into contracts with companies in states or countries that discriminate against New York State companies, gives preferential treatment to businesses owned by minorities, women, and those who employ the disabled and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/4 "2016-06-07T14:40:05Z")
AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is running the United States and has bought and paid for most politicians. Any politician who goes against the wishes of AIPAC will quickly find himself out of office! > **[American Israel Public Affairs Committee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee)** > > The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC /ˈeɪpæk/ AY-pak) is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. One of several pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the United States, AIPAC states that it has over 100,000 members, 17 regional offices, and "a vast pool of donors". Representative Brad Sherman (D-California) has called AIPAC "the single most important organization in promoting the U.S.-Israel alli Until 20... Sounds like Cuomo is doing what is in HIS best interest! ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/5 "2016-06-08T08:37:43Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Isn’t it justified by the same rationale used by those government entities that boycott certain US states for their politics? No. When government entities boycott other city or state governments, they aren’t refusing to do business with any organization that disagrees with them about the boycott. But Cuomo is saying that not only is New York itself not boycotting Israel, but it won’t do business with any entity that disagrees with them about not boycotting Israel. That’s really restrictive and punitive. While I have my doubts about the usefulness of boycotts in general and of boycotting Israel in particular, trying to paint a boycott of Israel as some kind of antisemitic persecution just reeks of desperation. People are boycotting Israel because they’re really pissed off about Israel’s continuing and expanding occupation of Palestinian territories, and nothing else seems to be working to stop it. Boycotting may not work either, but it doesn’t automatically make the boycotters antisemites. (And yes, I’m nonetheless quite sure that **some** people in the BDS movement **are** antisemites, because it’s impossible to do anything that criticizes any Jews without bringing some antisemites out of the woodwork to endorse it. But just because antisemites approve of boycotting Israel doesn’t mean that anyone who boycotts Israel must be an antisemite.) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/6 "2016-06-08T09:31:51Z")
> [@Me\_Billy](#): > > AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is running the United States and has bought and paid for most politicians. > > Any politician who goes against the wishes of AIPAC will quickly find himself out of office! > [AIPAC - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee) You would’t happen to have any kind of credible proof of that assertion, would you? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/7 "2016-06-08T17:01:38Z")
It’s just a counter-boycott. Within certain limits, government entities are allowed to express political positions on their own behalf. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-cuomo-issues-executive-order-against-anti-israel-divestment-campaigns/756690/8 "2016-06-08T21:50:16Z")
> [@Me\_Billy](#): > > AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is running the United States and has bought and paid for most politicians. > > Any politician who goes against the wishes of AIPAC will quickly find himself out of office! > [AIPAC - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee) Funny – they seem to have missed my Congressman, Keith Ellison. A Muslim from Minnesota, who’s been elected & re-elected a half-dozen times now.