by Israel National News
Reps. Virginia Foxx and Josh Gottheimer introduce new legislation which would prohibit colleges and universities from receiving federal student aid if they engage in commercial boycotts dictated by the BDS movement.
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| BDS protest iStock |
New bipartisan legislation in the US would prohibit colleges and universities from receiving federal student aid if they engage in commercial boycotts dictated by the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The legislation was introduced on Tuesday by Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and US Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).
The bill, H.R. 10257 or the Protect Economic Freedom Act, makes those institutions ineligible for funding under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.
“Enough is enough. Appeasing the antisemitic mobs on college campuses threatens the safety of Jewish students and faculty and it undermines the relationship between the U.S. and one of our strongest allies. If an institution is going to capitulate to the BDS movement, there will be consequences – starting with the Protect Economic Freedom Act,” said Foxx.
“The goal of the antisemitic BDS movement is to annihilate the democratic State of Israel, America’s critical ally in the global fight against terror. While students and faculty are free to speak their minds and disagree on policy issues, we cannot allow antisemitism to run rampant and risk the safety and security of Jewish students, staff, faculty, and guests on college campuses. The new bipartisan Protect Economic Freedom Act will give the Department of Education a critical new tool to combat the antisemitic BDS movement on college campuses. Now more than ever, we must take the necessary steps to protect our Jewish community,” said Gottheimer.
The Protect Economic Freedom Act would require colleges and universities to certify that the institution is not engaging in a non-expressive commercial boycott of Israel, otherwise the institution will forgo its ability to receive federal student aid.
The bill mirrors existing laws enforced by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security that prohibit US persons from participating in unsanctioned foreign boycotts. It also directs the US Department of Education to make publicly available a list of all institutions that fail to certify.
The legislation comes amid a spike in incidents of antisemitism on US campuses since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The Committee on Education and the Workforce, which Foxx heads, recently released a 122-page report which detailed what it termed "astonishing concessions" by officials at numerous schools, including Harvard, Columbia, Yale, MIT, UCLA, and Rutgers to antisemitic protesters who disrupted campuses and threatened Jewish students and staff.
In their statement introducing the anti-BDS legislation, Foxx and Gottheimer noted, “Throughout the course of the Committee’s investigation into antisemitism on college campuses, it became clear that radical, anti-Israel individuals were attempting to coerce institutions into divesting from and boycotting Israel.”
“One of the most poignant examples was found at Northwestern University, where it was discovered that faculty members and Northwestern’s Provost were willing to appease organizers of illegal encampments by removing Sabra hummus from campus dining facilities because of the brand’s perception as an Israeli product. In addition to damaging economic partnerships, engaging in commercial boycotts undermines the US-Israel relationship and appeases antisemitic mobs,” the statement added.
Israel National News
Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/399891
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