U.S. Government: American Muslim Boycotts of U.S. Companies Operating in Israeli Settlements are Legal

American Muslim boycotts of companies doing business in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories do not violate U.S. law, an official at the U.S. Department of Commerce told iviews.com, an online news magazine, on Oct. 14. That statement came following an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) news release earlier in the week that claimed American Muslim boycotts of companies like Burger King were "under scrutiny" by the Commerce Department, and "could be in violation of anti-boycott regulations." In a written statement Dexter Price, director of the Office of Anti-Boycott Compliance at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Export Administration, explained: "The anti-boycott regulations enforced by the Commerce Department apply to boycotts imposed by foreign countries against Israel and other countries friendly to the United States. If a U.S. company shuts down its operations in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories solely in response to a boycott call or pressure by American Muslims or any other group of U.S.-based consumers, the Commerce anti-boycott regulations would not apply."