Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened the town of San Marcos with funding cuts after its council suggested a resolution calling for an arms embargo on Israel as well as an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the war-battered Gaza Strip, US media reported on Tuesday.
Abbott said his office would slash active monetary grants for "non-compliance" with Texas law amid the calls for an economic boycott of Israel, and that any future grants would not be agreed upon with the city.
According to the resolution considered by the city council, it identified that at least $4,434,675, which came from San Marcos residents’ taxes, was directly sent to Israel. This prompted members to call for the funds to be reallocated to fund local matters.
The Republican governor lashed out at the suggestions, saying the town must comply with state law when entering into a grant agreement with the state of Texas, which includes laws that prohibit calls to boycott Israel.
In the text, the San Marcos council also said it would discuss permanent Palestinian sovereignty over the occupied territories. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, famously opposes a two-state solution for the Palestinian territories and has claimed that there is no such thing as an occupation of the West Bank, which he refers to as Judea and Samaria.
Texas law explicitly prohibits "state agencies and political subdivisions from contracting with businesses that boycott energy companies, discriminate against firearm entities or associations, or boycott Israel".
In 2017, the Texas Legislature passed these restrictions, which were signed into law by Governor Abbott. The law was stressed upon by the state's Attorney General Ken Paxton following the October 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered Israel's deadly military onslaught of the Gaza Strip.
In his letter to the San Marcos council, Abott wrote: "I have repeatedly made clear that Texas will not tolerate antisemitism. Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies...I issued an executive order addressing antisemitism in higher education. I have proudly signed legislation prohibiting government entities from supporting efforts to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel. That remains the law here."
"Israel is a stalwart ally of the United States and a friend to Texas," he continued in the letter.
The US has been Israel’s staunch ally over the decades, signing trade and arms deal and providing annual military aid to the country.
The US has particularly delivered billions of dollars of weaponry to the country amid its war on the Gaza Strip, ongoing since 7 October, 2023, which has killed more than 51,4000 Palestinians amid international outcry.