WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation that would block federal funding for universities that boycott Israel, in the latest Republican-backed pro-Israel measure amid growing Democratic criticism of the Israeli government over its war in Gaza.
The Republican-majority chamber voted 237-169 in favour of the “Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act”. The legislation must also pass the Senate before it can become law.
The vote was largely along party lines, with two Republicans voting against the bill while 33 Democrats supported it.
The legislation comes amid heightened tensions on US university campuses over the Gaza war, which has triggered widespread protests and calls for boycotts of Israel.
According to the Gaza health ministry, Israeli attacks have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians since the conflict began.
The war has also prompted growing criticism of Israel among sections of the US Democratic Party, while Republicans have increasingly backed measures targeting institutions and protesters involved in boycott campaigns.
The administration of Republican President Donald Trump has launched investigations into colleges and universities and threatened to suspend federal funding over campus protests. Trump and many Republican lawmakers have accused some protesters of antisemitism and supporting extremist causes.
Pro-Palestinian protesters reject those allegations, arguing that advocacy for Palestinian rights and criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza should not be equated with antisemitism or support for extremism.
Free speech concerns
Democratic lawmakers opposing the legislation argued that universities and individuals should retain the right to participate in political boycotts as a form of protected expression.
US Representative Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, said before the vote that he opposed the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement but would nevertheless vote against the bill because of concerns over free speech.
“It is the only way to ensure speech I do agree with is equally protected,” Nadler said.
The BDS movement seeks to pressure Israel through economic and institutional boycotts over its policies towards Palestinians.
Supporters defend the legislation
Republican and Democratic sponsors of the bill argued that the measure was intended to prevent discrimination against Israel and Jewish institutions rather than restrict academic debate.
US Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat and one of the bill’s sponsors, urged lawmakers to support the legislation.
He said universities receiving federal taxpayer funding should not discriminate against academic partnerships or investments involving Israel.
The bill is part of a broader series of Republican-backed measures concerning Israel, antisemitism and campus protests as political divisions over the Gaza war continue to deepen in Washington.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, where its prospects will depend on whether supporters can secure enough votes for passage.
