America’s Science Agency Says It Will Cut Funding to Researchers Who Protest Israel

Under the Trump administration, the National Institutes of Health has announced a new policy that allows it to cut off funding to any medical researcher who engages in a political protest of Israel.

“Discriminatory prohibited boycott means refusing to deal, cutting commercial relations, or otherwise limiting commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or with companies doing business in or with Israel or authorized by, licensed by, or organized under the laws of Israel to do business,” the NIH policy update reads.

The policy, announced Monday, also states that the NIH “reserves the right to terminate financial assistance awards and recover all funds” from universities that have diversity and inclusion programs. Federal guidelines must be followed if schools and researchers wish to continue receiving funding, the notice states.

The federal government serves as the primary source of funding for many science, health, and research programs in schools across the country and pulling such funding could deliver a serious blow. CNN notes:

The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. It issues roughly 60,000 grants a year to nearly 3,000 universities and hospitals. More than 80% of the agency’s $48 billion annual budget is channeled to those research grants.

Gizmodo reached out to the NIH for more information and will update this story if it responds.

The new policy would appear to be yet another attempt by the Trump administration to bully and hijack the higher educational system in the U.S. Much of the current war between the White House and the nation’s colleges has centered around the rampant anti-Israeli sentiment on American campuses. Universities have served as a key domain for political activism against the U.S.’s continued support for Israel’s military campaign against Hamas. That campaign has led to enormous civilian casualties with recent estimates suggesting as many as 50,000 Palestinians killed since October of 2023.

The Trump administration is wholeheartedly in support of Israel’s military campaign, and has sought to institute new policies that attack Israel’s critics. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security announced it planned to screen the social media accounts of all immigrants coming into the U.S. for signs of “antisemitism.” Trump also recently announced plans to launch a program to “take over” Gaza and forcibly “relocate” the native population, before developing the land into luxury real estate properties. Since the October 7 attacks, the U.S. has given Israel at least $20 billion.