CHICAGO, 31 January 2022, (TON): A US federal court has blocked the state of Texas from enforcing its anti-boycott, divestment and sanctions law against a Palestinian-American contractor who refused to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel.

Rasmy Hassouna, owner of A&R Engineering and Testing, filed the lawsuit in November challenging a Texas law that bars government entities from doing business with companies taking part in the so-called BDS movement against Israel.

US District Court judge Andrew Hanen on Friday issued an injunction prohibiting Texas from enforcing a law that punishes contractors who refuse to sign an affidavit saying that they will not boycott the government of Israel.

Hassouna’s refusal to sign the pledge put his engineering contracts with the city of Houston valued at $150,000 to $300,000 a year at risk.

However, Hanen concluded that Hassouna’s views are not calculated to undermine the economic interests of Texas or to pose a threat to its Jewish citizens.

Hassouna argued that he is not antisemitic but is focused only on the acts of the Israeli government.