Residents of one city in the US state of Texas are being asked to sign a loyalty oath to Israel if they want to receive funds for Hurricane Harvey relief, an approach that civil liberties experts say is illegal.
The city of Dickinson, a suburb of Houston, is requiring residents to sign a no-boycott pledge in order to receive disaster aid to recover from Harvey, a devastating hurricane that made landfall in August.
David Olson, an attorney for Dickinson, said city officials are following a Texas law that prohibits state agencies from contracting with or investing in companies that boycott Israel.
The so-called Anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) law was signed in May by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott and took effect on September 1.
It was not immediately clear why citizens applying for disaster relief would be subject to a law that applies to state agencies and businesses.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sharply…