(JNS.org) A group of 10 Jewish, educational, and civil rights organizations issued a statement calling on Congress to deny funds to Middle East Studies programs accused of having anti-American and anti-Israel bias. Congress is currently considering the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, including Title VI, which provides federal funds to 129 international studies and foreign language programs. The statement’s signatories said that the Middle East programs in question “have devolved into hotbeds of anti-American and anti-Israel activity, disseminating falsehoods both in universities and to K-12 teachers and to the general public.” The organizations called for two measures: requiring Title VI recipients to establish grievance procedures, and for the U.S. Department of Education to launch a complaint-resolution process.