Misinformation is Going Viral While Texas Flood Victims Scramble locate missing family members
WHAT HAPPENED
Viral social media posts this week claim that Texans affected by the deadly July floods are being denied government relief unless they sign a “pledge of loyalty to Israel.” Some versions go even further, suggesting that FEMA or the state of Texas is forcing people—especially Muslims or Palestinians—to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a condition for receiving help.
There is no evidence this is happening in 2025.
These claims appear to be a distorted remix of a 2017 story in Dickinson, Texas, where business grant recipients were asked to sign an anti-BDS clause related to state contracts. That provision was based on Texas’s anti-boycott law, but was not intended for individual flood victims. After a legal challenge by the ACLU, the city revised the form and the policy was never widely enforced.
WHY IT MATTERS
This misinformation is dangerous for several reasons:
It misleads desperate families who may be afraid to seek help.
It inflames religious and ethnic tensions without evidence.
It spreads confusion during a real crisis, potentially undermining trust in emergency systems.
False claims about foreign loyalty tests or discriminatory aid policies feed into conspiracy theories and can put vulnerable communities at even greater risk.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
FEMA has not issued any pledge forms related to Israel in 2025.
Texas state relief programs and nonprofits are distributing aid without ideological conditions.
If you do encounter any document asking for political pledges in exchange for aid, report it immediately to civil rights groups like the ACLU or to local media.
BOTTOM LINE
There is no pro-Israel loyalty oath required for flood assistance in Texas.
Claims saying otherwise are false and misleading.
We must stay alert and informed—especially when lives are on the line.
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