US House Passes Bill to Cut Aid to Universities Boycotting Israel

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would deny federal aid to higher education institutions participating in boycotts against Israel. The legislation, known as the "Anti-BDS" bill, was approved with a vote of 237 in favor and 169 against. The bill had previously passed through the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in June and will now proceed to the Senate for further legislative action.

Virginia Foxx, the Republican Chairwoman of the Education Committee, stated that the "bipartisan legislation makes it clear that blatant campaigns of antisemitism in the form of boycotts have no place in any aspect of civil society." The bill targets the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which advocates for economic and academic boycotts of Israel.

The measure aims to penalize universities that engage in or support such boycotts, potentially impacting their funding. The advancement of the bill to the Senate signifies a continued effort by some U.S. lawmakers to counter the BDS movement through legislative means.