(José Niño, Headline USA) A city’s call for peace in the Middle East has set off a political firestorm in Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott, R-TX, has escalated tensions with the City of San Marcos after its council advanced a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Abbott condemned the measure as “antisemitic” and threatened to cut off state funding if the city adopts the resolution, per a report by Spectrum News 1.
In the middle of April, the San Marcos City Council voted to move forward a resolution urging an immediate and permanent ceasefire in occupied Palestine, an arms embargo on Israel, and the recognition of Palestinian sovereignty.
The resolution also references redirecting approximately $4.4 million in local tax dollars from Israel’s military toward domestic priorities. The final council vote is slated for May 6, 2025.
Governor Abbott responded by sending a letter to San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson, warning that the resolution violates the state’s 2017 anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) law.
On Tuesday, Abbott published a post on X, stating, “Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies. [I] sent a letter to the City of San Marcos today condemning its proposed antisemitic resolution openly flouting Texas state law. Texas will NOT tolerate antisemitism.”
Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies.
Sent a letter to the City of San Marcos today condemning its proposed antisemitic resolution openly flouting Texas state law.
Texas will NOT tolerate antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/17gJkFu6hv
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 29, 2025
The law prohibits Texas government entities from contracting with companies that boycott Israel. Abbott stated in the letter that “the Office of the Governor will not enter into any future grant agreements with the city and will act swiftly to terminate active grants for non-compliance” if the resolution passes.
Abbott’s stance is consistent with his long-standing support for Israel.
In 2017, he signed House Bill 89, the anti-BDS law, on Israel’s Independence Day, declaring, “Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies.” The law requires all state contracts over $100,000 to include written verification that the contracting party does not and will not boycott Israel.
On top of that, Abbott has also taken executive action to combat antisemitism. In March 2024, he ordered Texas universities to update free speech policies to include the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, following campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The San Marcos council’s upcoming vote will be a key test of local authority versus state power in Texas. Abbott’s threat to withdraw funding underscores how deeply the state’s leadership has tied its identity and policy to support for Israel.
As debates over Israel policy intensify, Texas’s response may set a precedent for the entire country.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
