A section of the House version of the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill would create a closer defense relationship between the U.S. and Israel.
Section 219 of the draft legislation calls for creating a U.S.-Israel defense technology initiative to better codify already close defense ties.
The initiative is designed to expand defense technology cooperation in areas such as the use of artificial intelligence for the military.
The advanced technology sharing would include working together on AI-powered defense systems, autonomous weapons, quantum computing and cutting-edge drones that are emerging as revolutionary new weapons.
Recent U.S. Central Command attacks on Iranian ports for the first time employed drone surface vessels armed with bombs in one-way missions.
The initiative also seeks better military operational coordination through improved data sharing and joint research and production programs.
U.S. and Israeli military forces, which joined forces in conducting attacks on Iran earlier this year, will not set up integrated military command structures under the new initiative, which is limited to joint defense industrial and technology efforts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that the new initiative highlights the need to upgrade the partnership between Washington and Tel Aviv.
“I’m calling it from aid to partnership,” he said. “We co-invest in equal measures in the new technologies that are needed to give our military and your military the advantage. There are some unbelievable projects.”
Mr. Netanyahu also said Israel supplies valuable intelligence to the U.S. that has been described as “worth five CIAs.”
“I’m not trying to be mathematically exact, but Israel’s contributions to America’s defense are important. Our technology is incredible,” he said.
The proposed initiative is expected to be opposed by congressional Democrats, many of whom have turned sharply against Israel over the war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.
Some right-wing political activists also likely will oppose the new initiative, claiming the United States’ longtime Middle East ally forced President Trump into another Middle East war in Iran. Mr. Trump has said that Israel did not goad him into action.
The House and the Senate are continuing work on draft versions of their defense authorization bills that are based on an unprecedented Trump administration request for $1.1 trillion in spending for the coming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
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