56 US Organizations Urge Congress to Remove Clause Deepening Cooperation with Israel
In a letter to the heads of the Armed Services Committees, the organizations demanded the removal of a clause from the defense budget bill that would accelerate joint military technology development and production in the US with Israeli defense industries. The bill has already passed the House and is awaiting Senate review.
56 human rights and civil society organizations in the US appealed on Thursday to the heads of the Armed Services Committees in Congress with a demand to remove from the 2027 defense budget bill a clause intended to deepen technological and defense cooperation between the US and Israel, as reported by Reuters.
The clause, numbered 219, is intended to accelerate the joint development of military technologies and enable joint ventures, licensing agreements, and production in the US in cooperation with Israeli defense industries. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives in July and is awaiting action in the Senate.
In the letter, the organizations, including Amnesty International USA and various Arab and Jewish groups, argued that deepening integration with the Israeli defense industry would be "exceptionally dangerous" against the backdrop of declining public support for Israel in the US.
Last June, Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and submitted a resolution calling for the start of preparations for a new model in Israel-US relations after the current memorandum of understanding expires in 2028. According to him, the move is not intended to weaken ties between the countries, but rather to deepen them:
"I want to see the partnership and relationship between the United States and Israel continue to grow. We are already excellent partners."
Stutzman said that during his meeting with Netanyahu, he heard a clear message: Israel does not want to be perceived as a country dependent on the United States:
"What Netanyahu explained is that he does not want the world to see Israel as dependent on the United States. Israel has grown dramatically in recent decades. Its population is approaching ten million people and its economy is approaching a GDP of one trillion dollars."
One of the central issues raised in the interview was the shift occurring in the American public, including parts of the Republican right. In recent years, criticism of foreign aid in general has been growing, and at the same time, a more critical approach toward Israel is developing among some of the younger generation of Republicans. Stutzman does not ignore this reality:
"I have young voters who do not like the foreign aid that America provides to other countries. From their perspective, Israel falls into the same category. If you support budget cuts, this is a bill you should support. And if you support Israel, you should want to see the partnership between the countries continue to grow."
