Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday directed state entities not to do business with and to divest public funds from companies associated with the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel.

An executive order affects all state agencies and departments, as well as public-benefit corporations and public authorities, boards and commissions for which the governor appoints the chair, chief executive and a majority of board members. The Port Authority is not subject to the order.

The order directs divestment within a year.

State Office of General Services commissioner RoAnn Destito will have 180 days to develop a list of institutions and companies found to be participating in boycott, divestment or sanction activity against Israel. If a company is named on the list, it would have 90 days to prove they are not participating in such activity against Israel.

Cuomo’s executive order is the first of its kind for any state.

In announcing the executive action in Manhattan Sunday morning — timed to coincide with the Celebrate Israel Parade — Cuomo, who traveled to Israel amid his primary campaign in 2014, chastised some in the Democratic Party for being critical of Israel’s response to terrorism.

“How can you have a disproportionate response when you are dealing with an enemy who is obsessed and single-minded?” Cuomo said. “By definition you can’t be disproportionate. And they will do everything that they can do, and they are. And as frightening as those tunnels are, and as radical as the mindset and obsessive as the mindset that built those (Hamas) tunnels, this BDS movement is in many ways more frightening because what they’re saying is they’re not making a physical attack, they want to make an economic attack.”

In a brief gaggle with reporters during the parade, he called Israel an “important strategic ally for the United States … and we have to keep that relationship strong.”

In a statement, Senate Republican Majority Leader John Flanagan applauded the executive order while also highlighting legislation passed by the Senate in January that would prevent the state from contracting with businesses that boycott American allies. That legislation has not yet come up for a vote in the Assembly.

Assembly-only legislation targeted at barring business and investment with companies that boycott Israel specifically also has not come up for a vote.

The full executive order is below:

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