The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed language requiring state and local governments to pledge not to boycott Israel in order to receive federal disaster preparedness funds, according to an updated document released Monday.

The change, first reported by Axios, marks a shift from the April version of the FEMA document, which included a clause under the “Anti-Discrimination” section defining a “discriminatory prohibited boycott” as refusing to engage with Israeli companies or those doing business with or licensed by Israel.

The April version of the document [DHS website]

That clause no longer appears in the revised version. It has been replaced with a more general statement about federal civil rights protections, referring to laws that prohibit discrimination based on “race, color, sex, religion, and national origin.”

The August version of the document. [DHS website]

The DHS has not officially commented on the change. In a statement to Axios, however, the department said, “There is NO FEMA requirement tied to Israel in any current NOFO” — referring to its Notices of Funding Opportunities. It added that “DHS will enforce all anti-discrimination laws and policies, including as it relates to the BDS movement, which is expressly grounded in antisemitism.”

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, launched in 2005 by Palestinian civil society groups, calls for economic pressure on Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. Supporters argue it is a nonviolent protest against Israeli policies, while critics, including the U.S. government, say it singles out Israel unfairly and promotes antisemitism.

The requirement to oppose BDS has been politically contentious. 34 U.S. states have passed laws or executive orders banning state agencies from contracting with companies that support the movement. 

Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, have challenged such laws, saying they infringe on free speech.

BDS leaders have repeatedly denied allegations of antisemitism, claiming the movement is anti-Zionist, not anti-Jewish — a distinction supported by more than 200 Jewish scholars in a 2021 statement.