Pro-Israel voices win out, kill bill to stop US-Israel military integration

responsiblestatecraft ^ | June 4 | Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

[RandFan]

A House committee summarily struck down an amendment to strip a measure from the massive annual defense policy bill that would provide Israel “a higher level of military-industrial integration" with the U.S. than Washington has "with any other country in the world.”

Pro-Israel voices on the House Armed Services Committee argued that reports about Section 224 — that Congress was trying to integrate U.S. and Israeli military systems as a way to entrench aid without proper oversight — were disingenuous and wrong.

In fact, members claimed that these were “existing initiatives” and that Section 224 “actually improves oversight and accountability of these programs by designating a single official responsible for them,” according to Chairman Mike Rogers, (R-Ala.)

Not quite true, said the Quincy Institute’s Ben Freeman, who broke the initial story of Section 224 for RS last week. “Members of Congress supporting the proposal laid out caricatures of critiques against Section 224. And when they did actually talk about the provision itself they spread half-truths and outright inaccuracies about how far this provision will go to integrate the U.S. and Israeli defense sectors.”

According to Freeman, as reported in these pages, Section 224 would lay the groundwork for:

…bilateral research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, licensing agreements, and seemingly every manner of U.S.-Israeli military-industrial complex cooperation. The U.S. and Israel already work together heavily on missile defense, but this provision would greatly expand coordination to seemingly every area of defense tech, including AI, quantum, autonomous systems, directed energy, cyber, biotech, and many more. It also proposes “network integration” and “data fusion.” In other words, the U.S. military’s data could soon be the Israeli military’s data.

Critically, it would shift the annual $3.8 billion the U.S. now gives Israel (a 10-year memorandum of understanding soon up for renewal) to these programs and partnerships, i.e. “co-production” and other “fusion” deep inside Pentagon procurement and acquisitions process, where sunlight is rare and often fleeting. A perfect solution — which is, by the way, endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — to the dwindling American support for Israel’s wars and U.S. military assistance for them.

In his remarks on Section 224, Khanna spoke vociferously against what he saw as a blank check at a time when a majority of Americans say they do not want to send more military aid to Israel.

“The American people are tired of the arrogance and insolence of Prime Minister Netanyahu telling America what we should do. The entire country of Israel has a GDP that is less than a single town in my district, yet somehow Netanyahu thinks he could tell the American people what we should do,” he charged.

“I am for Team America. I am for the interests of this country, and I believe that's what Donald Trump ran on. That includes American interests against any foreign country,” Khanna said. “We should have American sovereignty and make it clear that we strike 224. If we want to give aid to Israel, if we want to sell them weapons, that should be a vote for the entire Congress.”

[AAABEST]

Your friend may have died. Sorry to hear that. But You’re facts are not correct. Netanyahu was not a political leader of Israel during either Gulf War. During the first Gulf War he served as a reporter. 2nd Gulf was he was in the Private sector.

"May have died?" No, he IS dead. The pic is from Arlington. His wife and kids lost their dad/husband and still commemorate him on social media - which always throws my day off. The Stryker he was in got hit by a VBIED, in one of the shithole wars this forum was once universally opposed to. Now all the Israel first quislings and 5th columnists are back at work telling us said shithole wars are good again.

Nice excuse making, but Bibi had *just finished a term as Prime Minister when he spewed WMD lies on the floor of the US congress on live TV. Same as he did with Trump recently, yet all the st00pits fell for it.... once AGAIN, while giving the MFer standing ovations. No wonder some Jews see us as stupid goyim.

Lemme guess, you were put out of the "service" for a low GT score. You're, seriously, not very bright. Or maybe for being a fatbody? Preclusion from promotion?

[Jan_Sobieski]

We didn’t go to war for Israel in GW2. We went to war because Saddam was selling oil in Euros. Do you know what the Petrodollar is? It’s the same reason we took out Khadaffi and Maduro. It’s why we continue to aid Ukraine against Russia. Netanyahu lives rent free in your vacuous mind. Perhaps you should read up on why America fights so hard to keep our reserve currency?

[Jan_Sobieski]

The US military is integrated with many allies including the South Koreans, Germans, British, etc. It’s treason to add Israel?

[Jan_Sobieski]

The US military is integrated with many allies including the South Koreans, Germans, British, Australians, etc. Even Canada!? We’re living in an Idiocracy if we add Israel?