Includes supplemental funding for Iron Dome Missile Defense System and Israel Relations Normalization Act
U.S. Congress has provided historic funding for Israel’s security and other key provisions in the omnibus funding bill for Fiscal Year 2022. The measure supplies more than $4.8-billion for America’s democratic ally—which importantly includes $1-billion in additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Last year, Israel endured an onslaught of more than 4,300 rockets fired by Iranian-backed terrorists in just over 11 days. Fortunately, Iron Dome intercepted more than 90% of the rockets headed toward population centers, greatly minimizing civilian casualties.
The measure also includes the Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021, which supports and seeks to expand the recent peace and normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. The bipartisan bill recognizes that these agreements have the potential to transform the region and enhance the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
The measure provides $3.8-billion to Israel under the fourth year of the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This includes $3.3-billion in security assistance and $500-million for U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation.
Other important provisions include:
• Language denouncing the new discriminatory Commission of Inquiry targeting Israel at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
• A first-ever direct appropriation for U.S.-Israel agriculture cooperation in the amount of $1-million.
• $2-million in funds for the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation supporting U.S.-Israel cooperative energy programs.
• $2-million in funding for U.S.-Israel cooperative efforts related to border security, maritime security, biometrics, cybersecurity, and video analytics.
• A doubling of funding to $4-million for U.S.-Israel health technology cooperation.
• $50-million for Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act.
• $47.5-million for U.S.-Israel anti-tunnel technology cooperation and $25-million for counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) cooperation.
• $5-million for refugee resettlement in Israel.
In a release, AIPAC noted its appreciation of the strong bipartisan leadership of many members of Congress who had a role in securing these provisions, including Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Patty Murray (D-WA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Todd Young (R-IN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jack Reed (D-RI) and James Inhofe (R-OK), and Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Kay Granger (R-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Hal Rogers (R-AL), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Michael Simpson (R-ID), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Greg Meeks (D-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Norma Torres (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Adam Smith (D-WA) and Mike Rogers (R-AL).