New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill prohibiting the state’s pension and annuity funds from investing in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses.
The measure, signed Aug. 16, was passed in the state’s General Assembly in June by a vote of 69-3 with two abstentions. It passed the state Senate unanimously in May.
The state’s pension fund controls more than $80 billion in assets, according to the Associated Press, and provides coverage for about 800,000 current and retired public employees. Israel and New Jersey annually trade more than $1.3 billion in goods, according to the legislation.
At least 12 states have passed anti-BDS legislation, and 21 have taken up such measures.
In a statement, Christie encouraged other states to pass anti-BDS legislation and compared the law to recent New Jersey efforts to divest from companies tied to Iran and Sudan. — jta