July 14, 2026

 

Today, the St. Paul Regional Water Board (“Water Board”) made the right decision and rejected the latest effort by BDS activists to inject their hatred of Israel into the important work of local government.

 

We congratulate the Commissioners for their wisdom and courage in listening to their professional staff, following the evidence, and putting the safety of approximately 450,000 water customers first.

 

We also thank the scores of Jewish community members who advocated for today’s positive outcome and endured hours of hostility at the hearing. As the consensus public affairs voice for Minnesota’s Jewish community, it was our honor to help organize the community against BDS and for common sense.

 

This decision was never about the Middle East. It was about the Midwest; it was about protecting the drinking water of the people of St. Paul.

 

Waterfall is an Israeli company. Their world leading cybersecurity technology was selected by the Water Board’s engineers and cybersecurity professionals. Those same experts recommended its continued use. Today, the Commissioners respected that expertise.

 

We are grateful that the Board refused to allow political pressure or the nationality of the most qualified contractor to compromise their obligation to protect the drinking water for 450,000 customers.

 

Reasonable people can disagree about international politics. But they do not belong at the center of a local water cybersecurity decision — and neither do doxxing, intimidation, or personal attacks against public servants.

 

Cybersecurity is a public safety issue. A cyberattack on critical water infrastructure could affect every resident of our region, with the greatest consequences often falling on the most vulnerable members of our community.

 

Today, facts mattered. Expertise mattered. Public safety mattered.

 

The Board safeguarded our water from the pollution of Israel hating grandstanding. They kept the focus exactly where it belongs: protecting the people and the drinking water of greater St. Paul.

 

Finally, we thank the law enforcement and security staff at St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse who ensured that members of our community could safely engage in the democratic process despite the attempts to intimidate and silence our voices.