On June 5, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a first-in-the-nation executive order that requires all state agencies under his jurisdiction to cease their dealings with companies and institutions that back the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

Hani Ghazi of Adalah-NY, the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel noted that the recent attempts to outlaw BDS reveal the movement’s effectiveness and politicians’ fears of the powerful pro-Israel lobby.