{
  "id": 5511254,
  "title": "US House of Representatives passes bill to crack down on university boycotts of Israel",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/us-house-of-representatives-passes-bill-to-crack-down-on-university",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T06:38:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2027432/us-house-of-representatives-passes-bill-to-crack-down-on-university-boycotts-of-israel"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Thursday, the US House of Representatives passed legislation, the \"Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act,\" aimed at withholding federal aid from universities that engage in boycotts of Israel. This move comes amid escalating criticism from Republicans against the Israeli government following its assault on Gaza since October 2023. The conflict has resulted in over 73,000 Palestinian casualties, according to the Gaza health ministry.\n\nThe bill, which now stands a chance of becoming law after gaining approval in the Republican-majority House with a vote of 237-169, must pass the Senate. The Israeli assaults have triggered protests and boycott calls at numerous US campuses. In response, President Donald Trump initiated investigations and threatened funding suspensions for colleges and universities.\n\nThe administration and many Republicans in Congress have accused the protesters of anti-Semitism and extremism support. However, the protesters refute these claims, arguing that advocating for Palestinian rights and objecting to the devastation in Gaza should not be mistaken for antisemitism or extremist support.\n\nThursday's House vote largely followed party lines, with only two Republicans voting against it and 33 Democrats supporting it. US Representative Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, criticized the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement but voted against the bill, emphasizing his support for Americans' right to free expression. Nadler stated that his vote was to ensure that speech he agrees with is equally protected. The BDS movement aims to isolate Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. The bill's sponsors assert that it is not intended to stifle academic speech or debate but to prevent the targeting of Israel and Judaism.",
  "summary": "The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to block federal aid for universities that boycott Israel, the latest Republican-backed pro-Israel measure amid growing Democratic criticism of the Israeli government over the assault in Gaza. The Republican-majority chamber voted 237-169 in favour of the “Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act”, which would have to pass the Senate…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}