My HB 291 Opposition Testimony

(I wanted to share my opposition testimony since, after a mishap where they included my home address and phone number publicly, they removed my testimony from their website altogether.)

I am firmly in opposition to HB 291. In particular, forging such a deep connection through trade and development to Israel is both dangerous and morally bankrupt. Israel’s current genocide has been waged for over 20 months. Over a year ago, the UN had already determined there were reasonable grounds to find that genocide was occurring. Furthermore, it’s aggression and violence towards Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and the West Bank cannot be ignored.

Its genocide has been done through high-tech military weapons, largely facilitated through AI targeting systems. To build a trade agreement with Israel now, creating a pipleline for companies such as Anduril, would mean making us complicit in the creation of these very same AI weapons and missiles, not to mention forms of digital warfare. Furthermore, the intrusion into

Ohio research infrastructure this would grant the Israeli government which, considering Israel’s history, both long since past and recently, is dangerous. Israel has proven itself willing to violate any law to get ahead in their land expansion and military aggressions.

Furthermore, the granting of this same access to military contractors is unacceptable. We need investments in Ohio, not in the furthering of more wars, which only harms people abroad and citizens of Ohio through drafting. A bolstering of the war economy hurts everyone.

Additionally, the way this bill makes complicit labs, universities, and agencies in Ohio cannot be accepted. To make our state complicit in the growing global militarized surveillance economy is to make Ohio partner in death and repression. And to do so without proper oversight is both dangerous and short-sighted.

Even if moral arguments aren’t considered, economic ones should. Israel is not a good partner to form connections with. Its credit rating has been downgraded by both Moody and S&P. Any connection to it threatens Ohio’s reputation, which could harm foreign investments. And the tech sector in Israel is already seeing talent flee and capital rapidly go down the drain. There is no excuse to pass this bill. For these reason, I vehemently object. Vote NO on HB 291.