The United States House of Representatives has passed a bill to penalise American universities for boycotting Israel or its academic institutions, including those located in the occupied West Bank, a move that critics say violates freedom of expression. Lawmakers approved the measure in a 237-169 vote on Thursday, with 33 Democrats joining the Republican majority. Two Republicans broke ranks with their party to reject the bill.
The proposal will still needs to be adopted by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by President Donald Trump to become law. If passed, it would bar universities that boycott “an entity licensed or regulated by, or organised under the laws of” Israel, such as those in illegal West Bank settlements, from receiving federal funds. Withholding such funding would make it nearly impossible for many universities to operate or provide financial aid to students.
Jenin Younes, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said the bill raises serious concerns for the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech rights. The stipulation raises concerns that the bill not only bans boycotts of schools in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank but could compel US universities to forge relationships with them to fulfil the certification requirement. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, “have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law”.
The bill comes at a time when public support for Israel in the US has nosedived. A Pew Research Center survey in July suggested that 62 percent of Americans have an unfavourable view of the Israeli government. Still, support for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which carried out the genocidal war on Gaza, remains strong on Capitol Hill.
For years, US states and Congress have been passing bills to restrict the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that aims to pressure Israel economically to end abuses against Palestinians. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been among rights groups who have regularly warned that anti-BDS laws violate constitutional free speech guarantees. Robert McCaw, CAIR’s government affairs director, called the legislative proposal “a blatant attempt to hold American students’ financial futures hostage in order to shield the Israeli government and entities operating under Israeli law from peaceful economic pressure”.
Supporters of the bill have argued that the measure aims to regulate commercial conduct, not speech. Some rights advocates have called for academic boycotts of Israel, saying Israeli universities play a role in enabling abuses against Palestinians by developing weapon systems and military strategies. The two Republicans who voted against the bill on Tuesday were Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson, who have both been critical of Washington’s policy towards the Middle East.
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