Some Israel supporters say it’s a conclusive victory for the legality of such laws, now in effect in over 30 states. Critics argue that the fight will go on, in an effort to force the high court to hear the appeal or to pressure state governments to more narrowly tailor legislation. 

The Supreme Court turned back an appeal from the editor of the Arkansas Times, Alan Leveritt, after a federal appeals court upheld a state law requiring him to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel in order to qualify for advertising contracts from a state university. The Times was represented by the ACLU, which has taken up the mantle in a number of similar cases across the country.

A June decision by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stands as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision. 

That 9-1 ruling in the case of Arkansas Times LP v. Waldrip reversed a ruling by a three-judge panel that the law was unconstitutional. It is the first full federal appeals court ruling on state anti-BDS laws.