ALBANY, NY — Joseph Hernandez, Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, released the following statement in response to Democratic Comptroller candidate Raj Goyle’s proposal to divest New York’s pension fund from Israel bonds and the incumbent Comptroller’s refusal to comment, as reported by the New York Post:
“In a New York Post exclusive, Democratic Comptroller candidate Raj Goyle pledged to divest New York’s pension fund from Israel bonds, a clear embrace of the BDS movement and an explicit attempt to turn the Office of the New York State Comptroller into a vehicle for ideological activism rather than fiscal stewardship. The BDS agenda has no place in managing a $291 billion public pension fund. The Comptroller’s job is not to wage foreign policy battles or appease political activists. It is to act as a fiduciary and invest based solely on risk, return, and long-term performance for New York’s retirees and taxpayers.
This proposal is not just reckless fiscal policy; it is an economic attack on one of America’s closest allies, Israel, and it is wrong. Weaponizing New York’s pension fund to target an ally undermines fiduciary discipline and drags the Comptroller’s office into ideological warfare it was never meant to fight.
What is most alarming is the response from the incumbent Comptroller. According to the same report, Tom DiNapoli declined to comment. When a candidate openly calls for politicized divestment and BDS-style boycotts, silence from the state’s chief fiscal officer is not neutrality. It is abdication. It signals a failure to defend the integrity of the office and invites ideological capture of New York’s pension fund.
For too long, New York has lacked an independent fiscal watchdog willing to draw clear lines and resist political pressure. Silence in moments like this is how pension funds stop being managed for retirees and start being used for politics.
As Comptroller, I will invest in what delivers the greatest long-term, risk-adjusted return for the taxpayers and retirees of the State of New York. Period. Investment decisions will be driven by financial merit, not activist demands, partisan ideology, or political convenience.
New Yorkers deserve a Comptroller who speaks plainly, acts independently, and defends their money with discipline and integrity.”