Governor Michael Dukakis acted this week to ensure that Massachusetts’ state government will in no way support the Arab business boycott. Appearing before a meeting of the American Jewish Congress Monday, Dukakis became the first governor in the nation to sign an executive order which requires businesses contracting with the state to agree not to participate in or cooperate with international boycotts conducted on the basis of color, creed, religion, or national origin.
The executive order specifies that any firm contracting with the state after Jan. 1, 1977 for an amount of $5000 or more must agree not to participate in an international boycott. The order gives the state the right to cancel the contract if the company violates that agreement. The decision to sign the executive order was based, the Governor said, on his belief that the Arab boycott constitutes “clear interference with our constitutionally guaranteed civil and human rights,” which is “morally reprehensible and can no longer be tolerated.”
He pointed out that a recently passed Massachusetts law which also goes into effect on Jan. 1. prohibits compliance by Massachusetts firms with the Arab boycott. Dukakis said the law and the executive order put Massachusetts “in the front ranks of the battle against discrimination, whether it be personal, social, or economic.”
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