(Image source from: Haaretz)

A federal court on Thursday blocked an Arizona law that requires state contractors to attest that they won't boycott Israel, finding that the law possibly contravenes state contractors' free speech rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The state law "unquestionably burdens the protected expression of companies wishing to engage in such a boycott," according to the U.S. District Court Judge Diane J. Humetewa, the first Native American woman to be appointed as a federal judge.

The law, enacted in 2016, states that any contractors that work with Arizona's state or local government must have written certification that they are not and will not boycott Israel.

On behalf of attorney Mikkel Jordahl, the ACLU attempted to challenge the Arizona law, who stated that "boycotts are an important way for people to collectively call for social change."

"It should be clear that we as individuals have a right to engage in peaceful individual boycotts," he continued.

According to the ACLU, Jordahl himself boycotts Israel due to "Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories."

By Sowmya Sangam