Israel and its civilian population face more continued threats to than any other U.S. ally.
- The Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas, frequently launches rocket attacks at civilian-populated cities in Israel.
- Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group in Lebanon, stockpiles and shoots rockets and missiles at Israel, and its operatives often wage attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.
- The Iranian regime calls for the complete destruction of Israel while pursuing a nuclear program and holding the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East.
Israel is our greatest ally and only democracy in the Middle East. It is the only state for the long-persecuted Jewish people and must be protected from all enemies.
- The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) developed a world-class, high-technology, anti-rocket system in 2011, known as The Iron Dome. The systems can simultaneously shoot down over 90 percent of short-range rockets fired at populations centers, saving countless civilian lives.
- In May 2021, Hamas waged war against Israel and its civilians, indiscriminately firing over 4,500 rockets into Israel’s heavily populated cities. The Iron Dome stopped almost all the rockets, and only 10 Israeli civilians were killed in the attacks.
- The United States acknowledges Israel’s deepening threats and proudly supports the IDF in their fight against inhumane terrorists that attack Israel any chance they the get. In exchange, the United States sustains a deep and longstanding partnership with the only democracy in the Middle East, develops world-class military technology, and keeps a foothold in a region and intelligence on terror groups plotting harm against Americans.
America’s Historic Alliance with Israel:
- Since 1948, Congress has played a vital role in strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. Members of Congress from both parties have long recognized this partnership as an indispensable asset for promoting American values, interests, and our security.
- In an increasingly uncertain Middle East, Israel is the one stable democratic ally on whom America can consistently depend. Cooperation between the two countries in intelligence, homeland security, missile defense and counterterrorism has always helped the United States meet our security challenges.
- Israel has defended itself in eight wars since its re-establishment in 1948, fending off countless attacks from Islamic terrorists and nation states. The everlasting threat of violence has historically been met by a firm and bipartisan U.S. commitment to Israel’s defense.
Israeli Defense Support & Cooperation
- Congress legislated that our military must consistently assess that Israel maintains a Qualitative Military Edge (QME) over its enemies—so that Israel can counter and defeat any credible conventional military threat from neighbors and terror groups.
- Congress has historically provided Israel with the financial assistance to achieve and maintain Israel’s QME, such as helping Israel purchase the F-35 aircraft system.
- In 2016, the Obama Administration committed to a Ten-Year Memorandum of Understanding with Israel, pledging to provide $3.3 billion a year to the IDF and an additional $500 million for missile defenses. During the Trump Administration, Congress faithfully committed to the same funding levels, reflecting the bipartisan sentiment that underpins U.S. support for Israel’s security.
- Through U.S. support, Israeli businesses have also developed niche military technology that it shares with the Unites States, such as enhanced night vision goggles, helmets for F-35 pilots, and electronic sensors, radars, and cameras used to secure our Southern Border.
- Congress increased its commitment to Israeli missile defense by providing $1 billion for replacement Iron Dome interceptors after Israel endured thousands of rocket and missile attacks from Hamas in May 2021.
What is the Iron Dome?
- Since the 1980s, America has supported the U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation, where our countries share the most advanced defense technologies with each other.
- Congressional funding has enabled Israel to develop and deploy the Iron Dome, a multilayered missile defense infrastructure to defend against rockets and missiles fired by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. This cooperation has saved countless lives while also advancing America’s own missile defense capabilities.
- The Iron Dome combines tracking radar, AI technology, and advanced missiles which detects, tracks, fires, and destroys incoming rockets and missiles.
- The Iron Dome has proved effective protecting the lives of the nearly 10 million Jews, Christians, and Muslims who live in Israel, though it does not come without cost.
- For every $300-$800 rocket that radical Islamists fire at Israeli civilians, Israel spends around $40,000 shooting it down.
- Israel is currently testing laser technology as an addition to the Iron Dome. High frequency lasers have shown capable signs of destroying incoming rockets at a far cheaper cost than missiles.
- After Israel deployed the full-capabilities of its Iron Dome in May 2021, it was left needing more missiles—which America has always supported.
- However, in our ally’s moment of need, members of Congress in the radical left fiercely campaigned to defund Israeli support and equated America to terrorists.
- There is real evil in the world—particularly evil that calls for and actively seeks the destruction of Israel. Members of Congress that stand with radical terrorists instead of Israel and America have no business in Congress – and certainly shouldn’t have a security clearance.