A provision in a bill before the United States Congress could tie the American and Israeli militaries far more closely together, deepening their cooperation on weapons research, production and technology.

The proposal, titled the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” appears as Section 224 of the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual US defence policy bill.

If enacted, the provision could mark a major change in one of the world’s closest military relationships, shifting the two countries from a partnership centred largely on American military aid towards one in which their defence industries are more deeply intertwined.

Section 224 would require the US defence secretary to appoint an “executive agent”: a single official to coordinate military cooperation between the US and Israel, covering joint research and development, shared weapons production, and integration of military systems and data.

“What Congress is trying to do now is find different ways of entrenching the relationship so deep in America’s own defence industrial base that it’s impossible to root it out,” said Josh Paul, a former US State Department official, adding that the provision would give Israel unprecedented access to American technology.

The bill must first clear the House Armed Services Committee, then pass the full House and the Senate. It was proposed by Republican Chairman Mike Rogers and top Democrat Adam Smith, giving it bipartisan support despite growing opposition to further military support for Israel among some Democrats and Republicans.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said he wants to end Israel’s reliance on US military aid within 10 years, a goal that closer defence industry cooperation would likely fit.

Source: www.aljazeera.com