Arkansas Law Against Boycotts of Israel Struck Down on Appeal

A 2017 Arkansas law requiring public contractors to promise not to engage in boycotts of Israel is an unconstitutional abridgment of free speech, a divided Eighth Circuit said Friday.

Act 710 prohibits public entities from themselves engaging in boycotts of Israel or Israeli-controlled territories. It also bars them from entering most contracts for “services, supplies, information technology, or construction” with companies unless the contract certifies the company won’t engage in such a boycott for the duration of the deal.

The law defines a “boycott” in part as “refusals to deal, terminating business activities, or other actions that are intended to ...