Republican Gov Slams City For Considering 'antisemitic' Resolution, Threatens To Pull Funding

A metropolis successful Texas could suffer its authorities backing complete a solution calling for a ceasefire successful Gaza and an arms embargo against Israel. Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, wrote a missive to San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson admonishing nan City Council, which voted to bring nan solution to a general ballot connected May 6.

In his letter, Abbott pointed retired that while nan assembly was considering a solution for a "permanent ceasefire successful occupied Palestine," it had not done nan aforesaid to condemn Hamas pursuing nan Oct. 7 massacre.

Gov. Greg Abbott makes an announcement connected nan early of nan abstraction manufacture successful Texas, astatine NASA's Johnson Space Center successful Houston, connected March 26, 2024. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)

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"Israel is simply a stalwart state of nan United States and a friend to Texas. I person many times made clear that Texas will not tolerate antisemitism. Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies," Abbott wrote.

The politician said he was "proud" to person signed a rule banning Texas authorities entities from supporting efforts to boycott, divest from and punishment (BDS) Israel. The BDS activity argues that Israel should not person financial support owed to its actions successful nan Gaza Strip and nan West Bank.

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Texas law, specifically Code § 2271.002, states that authorities entities are prohibited from entering into a statement worthy $100,000 aliases much without a written guarantee that nan contracting entity does not boycott Israel. Under nan law, "boycott Israel" is defined arsenic "refusing to woody with, terminating business activities with, aliases different taking immoderate action that is intended to penalize, inflict economical harm on, aliases limit commercialized relations specifically pinch Israel..." Government entities that break nan rule put their backing astatine risk.

Abbott wrote successful his missive that his agency had already begun "reviewing progressive grants pinch San Marcos to find whether nan metropolis has breached position by falsely certifying compliance pinch Texas law." Additionally, he said that if nan metropolis moves to walk nan resolution, his agency would not participate into early assistance agreements pinch nan metropolis and would terminate progressive grants.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott delivers remarks during a solidarity gathering for Israel astatine nan Dell Jewish Community Campus connected Oct. 9, 2023, successful Austin. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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The City Council schedule explanation of nan April 15 chat read: "Hold a chat regarding a imaginable solution calling for nan contiguous and imperishable ceasefire successful occupied Palestine, an arms embargo on Israel, nickname of Palestinian sovereignty, and nan protection of law authorities for each group nether nationalist and world law."

San Marcos City Council personnel Alyssa Garza, who apparently put nan solution connected nan agenda, said astatine nan April 15 meeting, framing nan solution arsenic a measurement to conflict large government. Garza listed nan ways successful which she believes larger authorities entities are threatening smaller ones and insisted that Texans could not trust connected nan aforesaid authorities "to extremity a genocide."

"[It’s] clear to maine that erstwhile they money bombs, but trim assistance for lodging and acquisition and truthful connected here, that’s connected. When they soundlessness protests present and crush dissent abroad, that’s connected. When they defund section governments and nonprofits and they telephone america ‘distractive’ for opinionated up, that’s perfectly connected," Garza said.

Palestinians return to Beit Lahia, a metropolis successful bluish Gaza, connected March 8, 2025. (Khalil Ramzi Alkahlut/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Another assembly member, Amanda Rodriguez, said nan solution wasn't political, but alternatively a "moral litmus test." She besides described nan warfare successful Gaza arsenic a "genocide." Additionally, Rodriguez made a plea to Jews who did not be nan gathering because "there has been specified a conflation pinch this solution being compared to antisemitism." As portion of nan plea, she past said, "You cannot show maine that Judaism arsenic a belief supports this."

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In conscionable 5 days, nan San Marcos City Council is group to ballot connected nan solution and if it passes, Abbott’s agency is expected to measure its grants to nan city.

Hughson, Garza and Rodriguez person yet to respond to a Fox News Digital petition for comment.