Two members of the U.S. Congress are calling for the repeal of a provision in the next defense budget that would deepen integration between the U.S. and Israeli militaries.
Their efforts come amid protests over the latest draft of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets the budget for the U.S. military.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
It includes a clause called Article 224 that strengthens the relationship between the two militaries through the appointment of an “enforcement agent” to oversee joint technology development and coordination.
On Sunday, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said he would use his seat on the House Armed Services Committee to propose an amendment to remove Section 224 from the bill.
His Republican colleague, Thomas Massie, also threatened to protest on the House floor if the bill is approved in committee. He framed the issue as a question of American independence from foreign governments.
“We are a sovereign nation,” Massey wrote on social media platform X.
Khanna responded to Massey’s post and vowed to support Kentucky Republicans in opposing Section 224. He also attacked Republican President Donald Trump, accusing him of contributing to his primary defeat earlier this month.
“No matter how much Mr. Trump posts on Truth Social, he cannot destroy the partnership between Massey and Khanna,” Khanna wrote.
Massie, a liberal, and Khanna, a progressive, formed an unlikely alliance to promote antiwar measures and scrutinize U.S.-Israel policy. They also led a campaign to release government files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It is not unusual for the US to include pro-Israel measures in its annual military budget.
But the technology integration clause, which comes amid growing skepticism about U.S. unconditional aid to Israel, has sparked questions and protests over the past week.
Section 224 “requires the Secretary of Defense to designate an executive agency responsible for synchronizing cooperative efforts between the United States and Israel,” the budget proposal says.
The executive agent will be responsible for overseeing a wide range of joint initiatives “including bilateral defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation.”
Critics have expressed concern that the push would reduce the transparency of U.S. military aid to Israel, masking it as cooperation rather than separate spending.
The move also risks tying the U.S. military to the Israeli military, at a time when recent polls show Americans are rapidly turning against Israel.
For example, a New York Times/Siena College poll this month found that 57 percent of American voters oppose providing additional economic and military aid to Israel.
Separately, 62% said they do not support the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza, which began in 2023, has killed more than 75,000 people and sparked widespread condemnation.
The United States has been criticized not only for its devastating operation in Lebanon but also for its role in supporting Israel during that war. The role of technology is also coming under scrutiny, especially as Israel increasingly relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor, identify and attack targets.
However, some members of the US Congress believe that questioning the US-Israel relationship is a political third rail. Rep. Derrick Van Orden on Sunday criticized Massey for speaking out against Section 224 and accused the fellow Republican of anti-Semitism.
“This security agreement will allow the United States to take advantage of Israel’s advanced technology,” Van Orden said.
Massi responded by pointing to a 2024 incident in which Israel planted pagers belonging to Hezbollah civilians and military members and detonated them, killing and injuring hundreds of people, including children.
“Does this contract entitle me to Israel’s advanced pagers?” Massey asked Van Orden in a social media post.
This year’s $1.15 trillion NDAA includes several other proposals to increase U.S. aid to Israel. The entire section is titled “Matters Concerning Israel.”
This includes mandating cooperation with the Israeli military on anti-tunnel and anti-drone capabilities.
