Image by getty images

NEW YORK — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill prohibiting the state’s pension and annuity funds from investing in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses.

The measure, which was signed Tuesday, was passed in the state’s General Assembly in June by a vote of 69-3 with two abstentions. It had passed the state Senate unanimously in May.

The state’s pension fund controls more than $80 billion in assets, according to The Associated Press, and provides coverage for about 800,000 current and retired public employees. Israel and New Jersey annually trade more than $1.3 billion in goods, according to the legislation.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

At least 12 states have passed anti-BDS legislation, and 21 have taken up such measures. In June, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order requiring state agencies to divest themselves of companies and organizations aligned with the BDS movement, which advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

In a statement Tuesday, Christie encouraged other states to pass anti-BDS legislation, and compared the law to recent New Jersey efforts to divest from companies tied to Iran and Sudan. On Monday, he was one of 16 governors who signed the American Jewish Committee’s “Governors Against BDS” pledge.

“Standing with Israel, for peace and democracy, requires more than just pledging military defense and support,” Christie’s statement said. “It is in all of our best interests to invest in and partner with Israel, while opposing any attempt to wipe out Israel, economically or otherwise.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount