New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed legislation that would bar the state’s public pension fund from investing with companies that boycott Israel.
The Republican governor, a key backer of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, signed the legislation Tuesday.
The legislation, passed with overwhelming support in the Democrat-led Legislature in June, prohibits state agencies from investing in pension and annuity funds of companies that engage in political boycotts of the Jewish State.
The measure is part of a broader effort to oppose the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) that targets Israel and Israeli businesses.
The legislation requires the State Investment Council, which manages more than $80 billion in pension assets, to identify any potential investments in companies with Israeli boycotts and to divest from them.
Other states to have passed similar legislation or executive measures against BDS include New York, Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois and Colorado.
