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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TIES DISASTER FUNDS TO ISRAEL BOYCOTT STANCE
EDITOR’S NOTE
This report is based on official FEMA grant notices, a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, public legal analysis from the University of Pennsylvania Law Journal, and verified reporting by Reuters.
WHAT HAPPENED
The Trump administration has formally tied at least $1.9 billion in FEMA disaster preparedness grants to a state or city’s stance on Israel.
In a set of grant notices published Friday, FEMA stated that to qualify for critical federal aid—used for search-and-rescue equipment, backup power systems, and emergency staff salaries—states must certify they do not boycott Israeli companies.
This expands an earlier directive from the Department of Homeland Security in April 2025, which banned BDS-aligned jurisdictions from receiving federal homeland security funds. Now, that requirement is baked into FEMA’s terms and conditions for grants related to natural disaster preparedness and terrorism prevention.
The agency will also require cities to comply with the anti-boycott clause to receive a portion of the $553.5 million allocated for urban terrorism prevention. New York City is set to receive $92.2 million—the highest allocation under that program.
WHY IT MATTERS
This marks a significant escalation in the federal government’s use of funding conditions to enforce political allegiance on foreign policy. Disaster preparedness funds—typically seen as politically neutral—are now being used to penalize states or municipalities that align with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to pressure Israel over its occupation of Palestinian territories.
While 34 states already have anti-BDS laws or policies, critics argue the federal move raises serious First Amendment concerns. The shift also follows a broader pattern under the Trump administration of leveraging federal funds to enforce ideological conformity—including a July FEMA directive requiring states to spend terrorism prevention money on assisting immigration enforcement.
A DHS spokesperson, citing Secretary Kristi Noem, defended the policy by calling BDS “expressly grounded in antisemitism.” Civil liberties groups and BDS supporters argue the movement is political protest—not discrimination.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Legal challenges on First Amendment grounds are likely, especially in states or cities without anti-BDS laws.
* Cities like Berkeley or Portland, which have passed BDS resolutions in the past, may face funding cuts.
* The inclusion of ideological tests for disaster funding may be challenged in court as unconstitutional “viewpoint discrimination.”
* The use of FEMA funds for immigration enforcement is also under scrutiny, raising questions about how far the administration can stretch the agency’s mandate.
BOTTOM LINE
The Trump administration is now conditioning lifesaving disaster and anti-terrorism funds on political loyalty to its pro-Israel agenda. While mostly symbolic in states with anti-BDS laws, this policy sets a precedent for politicizing disaster aid—and could have real consequences in jurisdictions that dissent.
FULL STORY + DAILY UPDATES
Follow me on Instagram and Substack for continued updates and the full story.
SOURCE DOCUMENTS
* FEMA Grant Notice: Urban Area Security Initiative
* Reuters report (Courtney Rozen)
Get full access to The TAKE with Jerrod Zisser at jerrodzisser.substack.com/subscribe
View all episodes
By The TAKE with Jerrod ZisserEDITOR’S NOTE
This report is based on official FEMA grant notices, a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, public legal analysis from the University of Pennsylvania Law Journal, and verified reporting by Reuters.
WHAT HAPPENED
The Trump administration has formally tied at least $1.9 billion in FEMA disaster preparedness grants to a state or city’s stance on Israel.
In a set of grant notices published Friday, FEMA stated that to qualify for critical federal aid—used for search-and-rescue equipment, backup power systems, and emergency staff salaries—states must certify they do not boycott Israeli companies.
This expands an earlier directive from the Department of Homeland Security in April 2025, which banned BDS-aligned jurisdictions from receiving federal homeland security funds. Now, that requirement is baked into FEMA’s terms and conditions for grants related to natural disaster preparedness and terrorism prevention.
The agency will also require cities to comply with the anti-boycott clause to receive a portion of the $553.5 million allocated for urban terrorism prevention. New York City is set to receive $92.2 million—the highest allocation under that program.
WHY IT MATTERS
This marks a significant escalation in the federal government’s use of funding conditions to enforce political allegiance on foreign policy. Disaster preparedness funds—typically seen as politically neutral—are now being used to penalize states or municipalities that align with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to pressure Israel over its occupation of Palestinian territories.
While 34 states already have anti-BDS laws or policies, critics argue the federal move raises serious First Amendment concerns. The shift also follows a broader pattern under the Trump administration of leveraging federal funds to enforce ideological conformity—including a July FEMA directive requiring states to spend terrorism prevention money on assisting immigration enforcement.
A DHS spokesperson, citing Secretary Kristi Noem, defended the policy by calling BDS “expressly grounded in antisemitism.” Civil liberties groups and BDS supporters argue the movement is political protest—not discrimination.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Legal challenges on First Amendment grounds are likely, especially in states or cities without anti-BDS laws.
* Cities like Berkeley or Portland, which have passed BDS resolutions in the past, may face funding cuts.
* The inclusion of ideological tests for disaster funding may be challenged in court as unconstitutional “viewpoint discrimination.”
* The use of FEMA funds for immigration enforcement is also under scrutiny, raising questions about how far the administration can stretch the agency’s mandate.
BOTTOM LINE
The Trump administration is now conditioning lifesaving disaster and anti-terrorism funds on political loyalty to its pro-Israel agenda. While mostly symbolic in states with anti-BDS laws, this policy sets a precedent for politicizing disaster aid—and could have real consequences in jurisdictions that dissent.
FULL STORY + DAILY UPDATES
Follow me on Instagram and Substack for continued updates and the full story.
SOURCE DOCUMENTS
* FEMA Grant Notice: Urban Area Security Initiative
* Reuters report (Courtney Rozen)
Get full access to The TAKE with Jerrod Zisser at jerrodzisser.substack.com/subscribe