US Congress passes bill punishing universities that boycott Israel

US Congress passes bill punishing universities that boycott Israel Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 09/04/2026 - 18:28 The legislation threatens to cut federal aid to universities that engage in any form of boycotts against Israel A pro-Palestinian rally in New York City on 4 October 2025 (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images via AFP) Off The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a Republican-led bill that aims to penalise universities that engage in boycotts of Israel or attempt to prevent students from participating in exchange programmes in Israel. The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act passed by 237 to 169 votes. The act would solely apply to universities that are part of federal student aid programmes.