Ashley Moody leads investigation into finance firm’s alleged ties to anti-Isreal BDS movement
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, along with multiple state attorneys generals, announced Thursday a probe into MSCI, Inc., a large investment company, over its alleged ties to the boycott, divestment and sanctions, or BDS, movement against Israel.
“Israel is our greatest ally in the middle east, and in Florida, we unequivocally support their right to exist,” Moody said in a release. “The BDS movement has one goal, the complete elimination of Israel as a Jewish state. The allegations against MSCI are deeply disturbing and we have called for a quick response from the company’s leadership directly addressing our concerns.”
In a letter addressed to MSCI Chairman and CEO Henry A. Fernandez, Moody and other attorneys general stated, “As evidenced by our efforts against Morningstar, we oppose the BDS movement in all forms, especially given the recent rise in antisemitism across the United States.”
Launching investigations against BDS, Moody first pinned a letter along with 16 other state attorneys general to Morningstar, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Sustainalytics in August 2022.
At the time, the company was was accused of “furthering the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement against Israel.” Morningstar, after the investigation, changed its business practices.
Similarly, a report published by the Jewish News Syndicate linked MSCI to related allegations.
“Like Morningstar, which allegedly assigned damaging ratings to a dozen companies that it said committed ‘human rights violations’ simply for conducting business in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, MSCI’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) ratings appear to downgrade companies for the same reason,” JNS said.
Moody called one allegation against MSCI “uniquely egregious.”
According to the Jewish News Syndicate, MSCI deducted ESG points from an Israeli company specifically because of the company’s participation in the construction of security and surveillance barriers designed to protect Israelis from terrorists.
“It is unthinkable to us that MSCI would stand by this position following the terrorist attacks on Israel last October,” the release said.
Additionally, at least 38 states have adopted laws, executive orders, or resolutions designed to discourage boycotts against Israel and the BDS movement.
Moody was joined by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia in requesting a response from Fernandez to the allegations by April 18.
