LOS ANGELES : City Won’t Contract With Firms Boycotting Israel

The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance this week that prevents the city from doing business with foreign corporations that participate in the Arab boycott of Israel.

Federal law already prohibits U.S. companies from taking part in the boycott, but foreign firms are free to do so. The council action Wednesday, proposed by Councilman Michael Woo, prohibits the city from doing business with foreign firms honoring the boycott, unless the city cannot acquire their products and services elsewhere.

The law will have no immediate effect on city business; the 66 foreign companies currently under city contract do not participate in the more-than-40-year-old boycott of Israel.