Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill that authorizes more than $650 million for major pro-Israel policies that will strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Your support of AIPAC enables us to lobby for these lifesaving provisions that help keep Americans and Israelis safe from threats in the Middle East, on the battlefield, and around the world.
As Israel continues to fight a multi-front war, the authorization for these pro-Israel programs sends a powerful signal about U.S. support for our ally and the strategic relationship that benefits both nations.
Included in the bill:
$500 million for U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation. This includes funds for Israeli procurement of Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow, and for bilateral research, development, testing and evaluation.
$35 million for U.S.-Israel cooperation on emerging defense technologies, including directed energy, AI, cybersecurity and quantum.
$50 million for U.S.-Israel Anti-Tunneling Cooperation.
$70 million for U.S.-Israel Counter-Drone Cooperation.
Extends the authority of the existing War Reserve Stockpile Authority for Israel until 2029.
The legislation also included a number of key pro-Israel provisions introduced by AIPAC-backed champions in Congress, including:
Rep. Josh Gottheimer's amendment directing the Departments of Defense and State to work with NATO and major non-NATO allies to ensure unjustified warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against members of the armed forces of the U.S. or of its other allies are not enforced.
Rep. Andy Ogles' amendment directing the Department of Defense and its agencies to not participate in international defense exhibitions if they or the jurisdictions in which they are held block or threaten the participation of Israeli companies.
Rep. Greg Steube's amendment requiring a briefing on the status of deliveries to Israel of any military aircraft or air-launched munitions approved for transfer.
Gottheimer's additional amendment requiring a study on steps Israel, the U.S., and Egypt can take to enhance international security measures to ensure Hamas and other actors cannot use tunnels or methods via the Mediterranean Sea to smuggle weapons and illicit goods.
Rep. Zach Nunn's amendment requiring the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report outlining the status of integrated air and missile defense in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, particularly Israel.
Nunn's and Rep. Don Davis' amendment directing the Secretary of Defense to work with our counterparts in Israel to establish a defense innovation field office within Israeli territory.
Ogles' additional amendment requiring the Secretary of Defense to conduct a continual assessment of the impact of arms embargoes, sanctions, restrictions, or limitations imposed by foreign states or international organizations on Israel's defense capabilities.
Rep. Elise Stefanik's amendment to convene the U.S.-Israel Defense Industrial Base Working Group to study the potential for defense industrial base integration between the United States and Israel.
AIPAC commends House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) and the countless pro-Israel champions in the House for working to include these critical pro-Israel provisions. The Senate is considering its version of the bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, that similarly includes major pro-Israel policies.
The inclusion of these vital provisions would not have been possible without your steadfast activism on behalf of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Together, we ensure that our leaders in Congress continue to understand the importance of the mutually beneficial U.S.-Israel alliance and work to strengthen that alliance in the year ahead.
Charlie Kirk
Conservative thought leader Charlie Kirk, 31, was assassinated today at an event at Utah Valley University.
Charlie was a good friend of the pro-Israel community and will be dearly missed. He is survived by his wife, Erika, and two young children.
President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, and Democratic and Republican members of Congress have eulogized Charlie.
May his memory be a blessing.
Israel Strikes Yemen As Qatar Assessments Continue
Israel is continuing to confront Iran-backed terrorist proxies across the region, as our ally wages a multi-front war to defend its people against these dangerous threats.
On Qatar, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "A unique opportunity arose to eliminate senior Hamas leaders abroad... The days are over when terrorist leaders could enjoy immunity anywhere."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the decision "to strike at the top leadership of Hamas terrorism is important and correct. Let us not forget - Khalil al-Hayya is a murderous terrorist with the blood of thousands on his hands, one of the architects of the October 7 massacre, and so are many of his colleagues."
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter added:
"The Hamas terrorists are on notice. They are going to be eliminated....
"If we didn't get them this time, we will get them the next time... The region is being changed for the better as we remove these enemies of peace and these enemies of Western civilization from their ability to implement terrorism."
In Yemen, as assessments continue to trickle in on the success of yesterday's strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar, Israel today struck targets belonging to the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
The IDF struck Houthi military camps, the headquarters of the Houthi propaganda department, and a fuel storage site, among other targets.
This operation follows Houthi attacks on Israel's Ramon International Airport, including one that struck the passenger terminal last week.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz added: "Israel’s security doctrine is clear — its long arm will act against its enemies everywhere. There’s nowhere they can hide."
Smoke rises over Sana'a, Yemen, following Israeli strikes.
In Gaza, the IDF is continuing its operations in Gaza City, one of Hamas' final strongholds.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir approved operational plans and briefed senior officers ahead of the offensive in Gaza City, saying:
"We are moving toward the next stages in the mission of toppling Hamas rule; that is our objective. We are going to bring down this regime, and nothing will stop us from carrying out the mission...
"These are the missions of our generation. As I have said in the past, we will attack [Hamas] and pursue it everywhere, in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and in other places, as we did in the last 24 hours."
The United States must continue to ensure Israel has the resources and support needed to defend its families on multiple fronts and increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to release all the hostages.
Yair Lapid: The U.N. is a stage for hypocrisy
Former Israeli Prime Minister and current Opposition Leader Yair Lapid published a new op-ed laying out the myriad problems with the United Nations and urging the creation of a new international body composed of democracies:
"The idea for the United Nations was born out of a desire by democratic nations to promote liberal values and human rights...
"A mix of post-colonial guilt and ideological laziness led the U.N. to admit more and more non-democratic states... in every vote, on every budget, in every resolution, non-democracies hold an automatic majority. And they use it without the slightest qualm...
"The total expenditure of the U.N. system tops $70 billion... Most of that money comes from the U.S. and the European Union. And it disappears into a black hole of unaccountability. One thing is clear: it isn’t being used to advance 'the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family, as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,' as the U.N. charter promises...
"We need a U.N. of democracies.... We don’t need to reinvent its goals. We just need to clarify the terms of membership: a commitment to democracy; a willingness to confront authoritarian leaders who make a mockery of everything we hold sacred; and a focus on fighting the great threats of our age — terrorism, religious fanaticism, fake news, nuclear weapons in the hands of reckless regimes, and the abuse of democratic mechanisms by those who despise democracy itself."
Israel is continuing to undertake extensive humanitarian efforts in Gaza, working to benefit civilians while ensuring aid isn't diverted by Hamas.
Yesterday, Israel brought nearly 280 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, while hundreds of trucks-worth of aid are still waiting to be collected and distributed inside Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Knesset is set to vote on a new budget which includes $473 million in funding for aid to Gaza.
And as the IDF continues to advance into Gaza City to defeat Hamas, it's urging civilians to move to humanitarian zones further south out of harm's way through leaflets, text messages and phone calls.
Yet Hamas continues to undermine Israel's humanitarian efforts, determined to use Gazan civilians as human shields, by "conducting a false campaign aimed at preventing Gaza residents from moving from the northern part of the Strip to the south for their safety."
Hamas could end the war today if it would lay down its arms, release the hostages, and surrender. Instead, it is prolonging the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
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Jake Braunstein
Director of Policy Communications
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The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
