House reaffirms U.S. support for IsraelSmith backs the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, stands up for Jewish- and Israeli-American students

With Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) full support and vote, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026 ( HR 4795 ). HR 4795 blocks federal higher education funding for U.S. colleges and universities that engage in non-expressive commercial boycotts—defined as “commercial action[s] (including engaging in refusals to deal and terminating business activities) that [are] intended to limit commercial relations… and [are] not based on a valid business reason”—of Israel, a major strategic partner, and/or prohibit students and faculty from participating in academic programs or exchanges with Israel. “Despite being a strong ally of the United States, Israel has been unfairly maligned and discriminated against by many of our colleges and universities, who have engaged in non-expressive commercial boycotts of Israel and sought to undermine partnerships with Israeli institutions of higher learning,” said Smith, the Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. “HR 4795, which I am proud to support, takes concrete actions to ensure that U.S. funding is not misused to advance and underwrite antisemitism, especially on our college campuses,” continued Smith. “Many recent actions taken by U.S. colleges and universities towards Israel—including commercial boycotts and the removal of academic programs and opportunities in the country—have created a culture of hostility on our campuses, fanning the flames of antisemitism and putting Jewish-American students at risk. “This critical legislation stands up for Jewish- and Israeli-American students, sending a strong message that the United States will no longer subsidize colleges or universities that engage in antisemitic or discriminatory practices against a leading strategic partner, Israel,” Smith concluded. ###