Noura Erakat, a Palestinian-American human rights lawyer and legal scholar, was arrested on Tuesday at a Palm Beach County commission hearing focused on the county’s budget investments in Israeli bonds, the largest municipal holding of such securities. Erakat was among several attendees forcibly removed by local law enforcement while attempting to speak against the investment. She was subsequently charged with trespassing at the public proceeding.
According to Erakat’s account, Mayor Sara Baxter announced restrictions on public comment prior to the hearing, reducing speaking time from three minutes to one minute and initially limiting speakers to county residents only. Baxter also stated that comments addressing the Israeli bonds would not be permitted because the matter constituted policy rather than budget discussion, Erakat said. When attendees spoke about the bonds regardless, they were removed from the room. Erakat claimed that during a recess, police officers selectively removed individuals from the chamber and that she was subjected to racial profiling. She stated she was held in a police vehicle for two hours before being transferred to jail and released on bail.
The Palm Beach County investment in Israeli bonds has become the subject of legal challenge and broader advocacy efforts. A group of residents filed suit last year contesting the investment as a violation of local ordinances requiring certain financial ratings for foreign investments and prohibiting politically motivated investment decisions. A court dismissed the case in August for lack of standing, though plaintiffs are appealing. Supporters of divestment, including the Internationalist Law Center, argue the funds should address local needs rather than support foreign government economies.
Nationally, advocacy groups have launched campaigns encouraging divestment from Israeli bonds at municipal, state, and institutional levels. Some candidates in recent primary races have pledged to end such public investments. Human rights organizations have contended that public fund investments in Israeli bonds may violate international law and fiduciary responsibilities, potentially exposing officials to legal and ethical risks.
Erakat characterized her arrest as a suppression of public discourse, stating it was “absurd” to be charged with trespassing at an open hearing. Charles Blaha, a former State Department official who was also ejected, asserted the county deliberately prevented legitimate public debate on an investment he said was widely opposed by residents.
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