Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) has warned the British government against imposing boycotts on goods from Israeli settlements, threatening consequences under a Florida law he authored — a move critics say could backfire by endangering roughly 70,000 American jobs tied to British companies.
The warning came as reports emerged that the United Kingdom was preparing new restrictions on products originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where more than 700,000 Israeli settlers live. Fine, a Republican congressman and former Florida state legislator, posted his threat on social media, reminding British officials that his state law would bar any British company forced to comply with such a boycott from doing business with Florida state or local governments.
“As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida,” Fine wrote. He added that the measure would also end any British business participation in Florida if the company needed official interaction with state or local government to operate, including permits or tax collection.
Fine described the UK’s potential move as a “vanity project in support of Muslim terror” and claimed it “could cost them billions of dollars.” However, the United Kingdom is one of Florida’s largest trading partners, and British companies account for approximately 70,000 jobs in the state. In a follow-up post, Fine asked X’s chatbot Grok to explain how Florida’s anti-boycott law might affect British companies — a move that drew sharp criticism from social media users who said the response highlighted the potential damage to Florida’s own economy.
“LOL. You are going to wreck your own state,” wrote Leilani Dowding, a British model and reality television personality. Jack Duncan, a British LGBTQ+ rights activist, responded, “Haha, you asked Grok, and it told you how much your plan would f--- over Florida, not the UK.”
The dispute over settlement goods comes amid rising Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. According to reports, about a dozen American citizens have died from incidents involving Israeli settlers or soldiers, including activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death by an IDF bulldozer in Gaza in 2003. More recently, 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet, an American citizen, was beaten to death by settlers in July of last year while on his family’s farm near Ramallah.
Fine’s threat reflects a broader pattern of US state-level anti-boycott legislation aimed at countering movements that target Israel. Such laws, enacted in multiple states, typically penalize companies that refuse to do business with Israel or its settlements. Critics argue these measures can have unintended economic consequences, particularly when they target major trading partners like the UK.
The UK has not yet finalized its policy on settlement goods, and it remains unclear whether the restrictions will take effect. Florida’s economic ties with Britain are substantial, with British investment supporting tens of thousands of jobs across the state. Any disruption to that relationship could have significant local repercussions, a point that critics of Fine’s stance were quick to emphasize.