The Trump administration has quietly removed a clause from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) guidelines that required states to maintain commercial ties with Israel in order to qualify for federal emergency funds.The clause, previously listed in the department of homeland security’s (DHS) internal terms and conditions, stated that states “must not support severing commercial relations, or otherwise limiting commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or with companies doing business in or with Israel.” The condition was removed without public announcement on Monday.The reversal comes after mounting backlash and media scrutiny over the administration’s threat to withhold at least $1.9 billion in disaster relief from states and cities that support boycotts of Israel or Israeli firms. Fema funding is essential for states to manage natural disasters, support emergency operations, pay staff, and maintain critical equipment.DHS oversees Fema operations, and on Monday, agency spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the policy shift, saying, “Fema grants remain governed by existing law and policy and not political litmus tests,” as quoted by Euro News.The clause appeared to target the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to apply economic pressure on Israel over its military actions in Gaza, now ongoing for more than 20 months. The DHS had previously referred to the BDS campaign as a “discriminatory prohibited boycott,” language that has now been removed from Fema’s updated guidelines, reported Euro News.“There is NO Fema requirement tied to Israel in any current NOFO. No states have lost funding, and no new conditions have been imposed,” DHS said in a post on X Tuesday. “DHS will enforce all anti-discrimination laws and policies, including as it relates to the BDS movement, which is expressly grounded in antisemitism. Those who engage in racial discrimination should not receive a single dollar of federal funding,” it added.The administration’s initial inclusion of the clause was widely criticised for tying life-saving emergency assistance to political ideology. Multiple US media outlets condemned the move as using federal aid to enforce political loyalty.The decision to backtrack also comes amid growing international criticism of Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza. While the Trump administration has maintained strong pro-Israel policies, it has also pledged to combat what it calls “left-wing induced antisemitism,” asserting that it has no place in the US and “will not be tolerated.
