A lawsuit in Texas to repeal a law penalizing boycotting Israel

A Palestinian-American company filed a lawsuit before the federal court in Texas, to oblige the state to drop the anti-boycott law in the United States. The company described the law approved by the state of Texas as unconstitutional and restricting the freedom of individuals and companies.

The lawsuit calls for the repeal of a law that prevents the state of Texas from doing business with contractors that support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The attorney for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) represented the Palestinian firm that filed the lawsuit in federal court in Houston on behalf of Rasmi Hassouna, owner and executive vice president of A&R Engineering and Testing Inc.

The appeal of the lawsuit against the Texas anti-boycott law is allowed on constitutional grounds, because it violates the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The call came after the state of Texas added a clause to renew a contract with the company on October 13 requiring it to pledge not to currently participate, and agree during the term of the contract to engage in boycotting Israel as defined in Texas Government Act.

Hassouna, the owner of the company, explained that Israel occupies his country, and that it is an apartheid state, so it’s his right and duty to boycott it, pointing out that this policy is against his constitutional right and in violation of international law.

The law passed in Texas in May 2017 is one of several measures that have been introduced in the United States in recent years to criminalize BDS activities.