TIMES OF ISRAEL
US House advances bill to withhold federal funds from universities boycotting Israel
Jacob Magid
September 4, 2026
The US House of Representatives on Thursday advanced legislation blocking federal funding from universities that boycott Israel, with 33 moderate Democrats joining almost every Republican in backing the measure. After passing by a margin of 237 to 169, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act still needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be signed into law…House Democratic leadership opposed the bill over what it said were free speech concerns, in addition to arguing that it doesn’t differentiate between Israel and settlements in the West Bank, which much of the international community deems illegal…Defending the bill, its Democratic cosponsor Representative Josh Gottheimer told lawmakers during a speech before the vote that it “simply says that if your university takes federal taxpayer dollars, it can’t discriminate against academic partnerships or investments with one country.” READ MORE
Roll call list includes the 33 Democrats who voted in favor, included Brad Schneider (IL), Jake Auchincloss (MA), Brad Sherman (CA), Henry Cuellar (TX), Haley Stevens (MI), Ritchie Torres (NY), Jared Moskowitz (FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
ALGEMEINER Anti-Israel Insurgents Fall Flat in Massachusetts Democratic Primaries
A trio of hardline anti-Israel candidates lost in Massachusetts on Tuesday night, representing a blow to the broader movement against the Jewish state within the Democratic Party. Progressive candidates Jeromie Whalen, Tram Nguyen, and Craig Swallow were defeated by establishment Democrats in Tuesday night’s contests. In each race, the progressive insurgents attempted to weaponize Israel and alleged connections to the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) against their moderate opponents. Rep. Richard Neal, who represents the 1st District of Massachusetts, successfully beat back a challenge by left-wing opposition Jeromie Whalen, who attempted to cast Neal as part of an out-of-touch establishment elite beholden to corporate interests.