U.S. reverses pledge to link disaster funds to Israel boycott stance | 4 Aug 2025 | The Trump administration on Monday reversed course on requiring U.S. cities and states to rebuke boycotts of Israeli companies in order to receive disaster funds, according to a statement, and deleted the earlier policy from its website. The Department of Homeland Security removed its statement, opens new tab that said states must certify they will not sever "commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies" to qualify for the funding. Reuters reported on Monday that the language applied to at least $1.9 billion that states rely on to cover search-and-rescue equipment, emergency manager salaries and backup power systems, among other expenses, according to 11 agency grant notices reviewed by Reuters. This is a shift for the administration of President Donald Trump, which has previously tried to penalize institutions that don't align with its views on Israel or anti-Semitism.