Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening a Central Texas city for its alleged “boycott” of Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. On Tuesday, April 29, Abbott sent a letter to San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson to get rid of a resolution from city council regarding the transfer of  “permanent sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories” and an “Embargo on the State of Israel.”

In the letter, Abbott claims the resolution violates state law “by calling for San Marcos to limit its commercial relations with Israel.” He references a law that prohibits governmental entities in Texas from entering into a grant agreement with the state unless it “does not boycott Israel.”

This means that the state can withhold funds for programs in local governments if they refuse any business with Israel.

“Israel is a stalwart ally of the United States and a friend to Texas,” Abbott wrote in the letter. “I have repeatedly made clear that Texas will not tolerate antisemitism. Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies. Over a year ago, following Hamas’s cowardly attack and campus disruptions openly celebrating terrorism, 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.”

Specifically, Abbott addresses a part of the resolution which says $4,434,675 of San Marcos residents’ taxes were sent to Israel and calls for the “reallocation of [such] local funds” away from “Israel’s military” and “towards essential domestic priorities.” If San Marcos adopts the resolution, Abbott said that his office “will immediately terminate all active grants not in compliance with state law.”

“It is difficult to believe that a city so carefully accounting for every dollar flowing to Israel and determined to ‘reallocate’ those funds in a self-described ‘Embargo’ on our ally is, at the same time, requiring written verification from its contracting partners that they will not boycott
Israel,” Abbott wrote. “This public expression of a desire to do what state law prohibits is unacceptable.”

Abbott also added that his office “is already reviewing active grants with San Marcos to determine whether the City has breached terms by falsely certifying compliance with Texas law.” The resolution is expected to be considered at the city’s next city council meeting on Tuesday, May 6.

A City of San Marcos spokesperson told MySA that “staff members do not provide interviews or public comments on items that are scheduled for consideration by the full City Council.” MySA also reached out to the Mayor Hughson for comment.