House Panel Advances Bill to Expand U.S.-Israel Joint Defense Research and Production

Section 224 of the House Armed Services Committee's version of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act proposes the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative. U.S. defense secretary to appoint an executive agent to coordinate joint research and development, shared weapons production, and the linking of military systems and data between the United States and Israel.

The bill must first clear the House Armed Services Committee, which is scheduled to take it up in early June, before advancing to the full House and the Senate. The provision was proposed by the committee's Republican chairman Mike Rogers and its most senior Democrat Adam Smith.

U.S. Military policy and authorize defense programs and spending levels. If enacted, the measure would shift the relationship from one centered largely on American military aid toward deeper integration of the two countries' defense industries. The United States and Israel already build missile defense systems together, such as the Iron Dome.

The new provision would extend joint work into additional areas including artificial intelligence, drones, and cyber operations. U.S. law has required Washington to protect Israel's qualitative military edge.

8 billion a year in military assistance through a 10-year agreement that runs through 2028. U.S. foreign aid since 1948, almost all of it now military and worth well over $300 billion when adjusted for inflation.

U.S. military aid within 10 years, stating his country had come of age. U.S. and Israeli forces attacked Iran together, triggering five weeks of war.

U.S. bases in the Gulf before a ceasefire took hold in April. U.S. State Department official and founder of the advocacy group A New Policy, posted on social media on Friday that Congress is trying to entrench the relationship so deep in America's own defense industrial base that it is impossible to root it out.

He added that the new section of law would give Israel unprecedented access to American technology and force the United States military to integrate Israeli defense technologies into its own critical military supply chain, giving Israel incredible leverage over America's own defense priorities.

Israel is facing genocide allegations in a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice over its war on Gaza.