Hogan executive order denies contracts to firms that boycott Israel

Gov. Larry Hogan signed an executive order Monday that requires all firms with state contracts to promise they will not boycott Israel.

Hogan, surrounded by local and national Jewish leaders, said he wants to send a message that Maryland supports the Jewish state and the economic ties between the two regions.

The executive order is meant to thwart the international, Palestinian-led Boycott, ,Divestment and Sanctions movement, which urges companies to refuse to do business in Israel. The effort has gained only modest support in the United States.

Pro-Israel groups across the country have been pushing states to enact such anti-BDS measures, though the legality of some have been challenged on free-speech grounds.

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