The bill’s sponsors said it was not intended to hinder academic speech or debate, but to prevent the targeting of Israel and Judaism (Photo: Reuters).
Thursday’s House vote was mostly along party lines, with just two republicans voting nay and 33 Democrats voting in favour, according to news agency Reuters. On October 7, 2023, an attack led by Hamas resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in Israel. Israeli attacks since then have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Democrat Representative from New York, Jerrold Nadler, said before the vote that while he opposed the global ‘boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, he would vote no, as he supports the right to free expression. “It is the only way to ensure speech I do agree with is equally protected,” Nadler said. The bill’s sponsors said it was not intended to hinder academic speech or debate, but to prevent the targeting of Israel and Judaism, alleging that the protests were antisemitic and supported extremism.
The protesters denied the allegation, saying advocacy for Palestinian rights and objections to the devastation in Gaza should not be equated with antisemitism or support for extremism.