- Two Republicans oppose; 33 Democrats favour the bill.
- BDS seeks to isolate Israel over mistreating Palestinians.
- Legislation not intended to hinder academic speech: bill sponsors
The US House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to stop money from going to universities that refuse to do business with Israel. This is another law backed by Republicans that supports Israel. It is happening as more Democrats are criticizing the government because of the war in Gaza.
The chamber that is controlled by Republicans voted 237 to 169 to support the “Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act.” This law needs to be approved by the Senate before it can become a law.
The war in Gaza has destroyed a lot of the area. Israeli attacks have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
The fighting has led to protests and demands for boycotts at American campuses. In response, Republican President Donald Trump looked into colleges and universities. Threatened to stop federal money. The administration and many Republicans in Congress say that the protesters were being antisemitic and supported extreme ideas.
The people who are protesting say that is not true. They say that supporting rights and being upset about what is happening in Gaza should not be the same as being antisemitic or supporting extreme ideas.
The vote in the House on Thursday was mostly by party. Two Republicans voted against it, and 33 Democrats voted for it.
US Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, said before the vote that he was against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. He still voted against the bill because he believed in the right of Americans to speak freely.
“It is the way to make sure that speech I agree with is protected just as much,” Nadler said.
The BDS movement aims to isolate Israel because of how it treats Palestinians.
The people who introduced the bill said it was not meant to stop discussion or free speech. Instead, they said it is meant to keep Israel and Judaism from being singled out.
US Representative Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, said in a speech urging support: “It simply says that if your university gets taxpayer money, it can’t treat one country differently when it comes to academic partnerships or investments.”
