Rights groups press lawmakers to scrap provision to merge US and Israeli militaries
The controversial defence bill measure would
permanently integrate US and Israeli military tech advancements
Published date: 3 September 2026
On Thursday, 56 civil rights and advocacy groups urged
Congress to scrap a defence bill provision that would strengthen US-Israeli
military technology ties, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
Section 219 of the 2027 National Defense Authorization
Act (NDAA) intends to institute frameworks for joint ventures,
licensing agreements and US-based co-production partnerships. It passed in the
House of Representatives in July and is pending Senate approval.
Thursday’s letter addressed leaders of the House and
Senate Armed Services Committees.
Reuters reported that some of the letter's signatories
include Amnesty International and the National Lawyers Guild, as well as Arab
and Jewish groups.
“At a time in which American interests are
increasingly diverging from those of Israel, and American public opinion is
turning increasingly against unconditional support to Israel, creating new
points of influence for Israel in the US defense-technology ecosystem is
exceptionally dangerous,” read the letter.
The letter criticises Israel for its genocide in Gaza and settler
violence in the occupied West Bank, condemning it for its violations of international
humanitarian law. It stresses that these developments should prevent any
discussion of military ties.
A memorandum of
understanding that
secures $3.8 billion in annual US military aid to Israel is nearing its expiry
in 2028, prompting conversations on how Washington’s assistance to Israel will
evolve.
Several members of Congress have tried to scrap the
provision from the fiscal 2027 NDAA. Republican Representative Thomas Massie of
Kentucky and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California introduced
an amendment to intervene, though it did not make it into the
House.
After the House of Representatives and the Senate
draft their respective versions of the NDAA, members of the two chambers will
negotiate a compromise version, which must be ratified by both chambers at the
end of the calendar year, before it heads to the White House for President
Donald Trump’s signature or veto.
It's important to note that in the Senate version of
the NDAA, Section 219 is labelled as Section 1217, with some notable
differences.
It was introduced in a bipartisan manner by New York
Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and North Carolina Republican Senator Ted
Budd.
While the House version would require the Secretary of
War to designate an "executive agent" responsible for synchronising
efforts between the US and Israel, the Senate version goes further by spelling
out that the Israeli minister of defence would be consulted on an ongoing
basis.
Should the Senate's NDAA language in the provision
pass later this year, lawmakers will have to come together and agree on one set
of rules to guide the “United States–Israel Defense Technology Cooperation
Initiative”.
What does Section 219 say?
The controversial provision would permanently
integrate US and Israeli military tech advancements in a way that would - as
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put it - turn Israel from a foreign
aid recipient to a full-scale partner.
Future presidents would not be able to simply withdraw
from such a project.
The NDAA is must-pass legislation, as it is needed to
fund all of the Pentagon’s operations in the year to come.
Much of what is being codified through Section 219 is
already how the Pentagon functions vis-a-vis Israel, which is the largest
recipient of US foreign military assistance to the tune of billions of dollars
a year, thanks to agreements signed under the Democratic administrations of
Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
But now there is profound collaboration being proposed
that allows Israel to have a say in US defence and national security
mechanisms.
The move was first introduced by Texas Republican
Representative Ronny Jackson, who was Trump’s White House physician during his
first term as president. Jackson’s senior navy rank was demoted during Biden’s
presidency after a series of accusations involving sexual comments and alcohol,
but last year it was restored.
Section 219 establishes the United States–Israel
Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.
The project would identify jointly developed or
Israeli-origin technologies with the utility for potential integration into US
systems; ensure collaborative research initiatives involving government,
private sector and academic institutions in both countries protect “sensitive
technology”; and ultimately align military efforts with the Department of War
that include the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate, the Defense
Innovation Unit, the Missile Defense Agency and the United States Space Command,
among others.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is effectively being
ordered to formalise US-Israeli integration relating to counter-drone systems,
missile and air defence, quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence systems,
and cyber and electronic warfare, in a bid to reduce Israel’s dependence on US
foreign aid.
Within a year of the adoption of Section 219, the
secretary of war would be obligated to present Congress with a report on what
activities were carried out, and how they are being assessed.
A New Policy, a lobbying group co-founded by
whistleblower Josh Paul, strongly advocated for voting against the US-Israel
Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative on the grounds that it would harm US
national security.
"This approach exposes sensitive US capabilities
to counterintelligence risk, normalizes technologies developed in contexts of
occupation and civilian harm, disadvantages US defense companies ability to
compete with Israeli competitors, deepens US legal and reputational exposure
without clear strategic necessity, and aims to hide continuing US military
support to Israel from Congressional and public transparency," it wrote in
a policy brief.
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