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Advocates Condemn US House Vote to Defund Universities That Boycott Israel

From Al Jazeera · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The US House voted 237-169 to advance a bill that would deny federal funds to universities that boycott Israel or Israeli academic institutions, including those in occupied West Bank settlements.
  • The measure still requires Senate approval and President Donald Trump’s signature before it can become law.
  • Critics, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, say the bill could condition public funding on abandoning First Amendment-protected boycott activity and cooperating with Israeli universities.

A bill that could cut off federal funding to US universities that boycott Israel has passed the House of Representatives, prompting rights advocates to warn that lawmakers are targeting protected speech.

The measure passed 237-169 on Thursday, with 33 Democrats joining Republicans. Two Republicans voted against it. It would still need approval from the Republican-controlled Senate and President Donald Trump before becoming law.

The Supreme Court has made clear that the government cannot condition its funding on suppression of First Amendment-protected activity. Courts also recognise that boycotts constitute such activity.

· Jenin YounesThe ADC president argued that the bill could violate constitutional free-speech protections.

Under the bill, universities would lose federal funds if they boycotted “an entity licensed or regulated by, or organised under the laws of” Israel. That wording includes Israeli academic institutions in West Bank settlements. The legislation would also require universities to certify each year that they permit cooperation with Israeli universities.

Jenin Younes, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said the proposal raises serious First Amendment concerns. “The Supreme Court has made clear that the government cannot condition its funding on suppression of First Amendment-protected activity,” she told Al Jazeera. “Courts also recognise that boycotts constitute such activity.”

The timing of the bill reflects the Israel lobby’s growing desperation in the face of rising opposition to US support for Israel.

· Jenin YounesYounes characterised the legislation as a response to changing public opinion.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, violate international law. The House vote comes as a July Pew Research Center survey found that 62 percent of Americans held an unfavourable view of the Israeli government, while support for Israel remains strong in Congress.

Younes said the bill reflected what she called the Israel lobby’s response to growing opposition to US support for Israel. She argued that the proposal would silence dissent and preserve US funding for Israel.

As Americans’ sentiment turns against our unholy alliance, Israel and its servants in Congress are working overtime to come up with ways to silence dissent and keep Americans’ tax dollars flowing to the genocidal, apartheid state.

· Jenin YounesShe criticised the bill’s political purpose and its potential effect on US funding.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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