[News] Trump Administration Ties Federal Disaster Aid to Support for Israel

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Trump Administration Ties Federal Disaster Aid to Support for Israel
Editing Team <https://qudsnen.co/author/taktek/> August 4, 2025 -
https://qudsnen.co/trump-administration-ties-federal-disaster-aid-to-support-for-israel/

Washington (Quds News Network)- The Trump administration has announced a
new policy that links federal disaster aid to support for Israel. States
and cities that boycott Israeli companies will no longer qualify for
critical emergency preparedness funding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) revealed the policy in grant
notices posted on Friday. To receive funds, states must certify that they
do not sever “commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies.”

This condition now applies to at least $1.9 billion in annual federal aid.
States rely on this funding for essential services like search-and-rescue
operations, emergency manager salaries, and backup power systems.

The policy reflects the administration’s continued effort to use federal
funding to enforce support for Israel. It directly targets the Boycott,
Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which pressures Israel to end its
occupation of Palestinian territories.

In April, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA,
issued a broader rule banning Israel boycotts for all grant recipients.

A spokesperson for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said:

“DHS will enforce all antidiscrimination laws and policies, including as it
relates to the BDS movement, which is expressly grounded in antisemitism.”

Civil rights groups and pro-Palestine organizations have long rejected that
characterization. The BDS campaign calls for peaceful economic pressure on
Israel over human rights violations.

The Trump administration has taken an increasingly aggressive approach
toward the movement, especially since the start of Israel’s genocide in
Gaza in October 2023. The genocide has killed tens of thousands of
Palestinians and sparked global calls for boycott.

While the new FEMA requirement may appear symbolic, at least 34 states
already have anti-BDS laws or policies, it could expand the reach of such
rules to federal disaster response. Zionist organizations welcomed the
decision.

The policy could also affect major urban areas. Under one FEMA program,
cities must accept the Israel condition to access their share of $553.5
million set aside for terrorism prevention.

New York City tops the list of recipients, slated to receive $92.2 million,
based on FEMA’s risk analysis.
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