A $1 billion emergency aid bill to replenish Israel’s supply of Tamir interception missiles for its acclaimed Iron Dome anti-missile defense system has passed a bipartisan vote by the US House of Representatives for a fifth time — but this time it’s likely it will also pass the Senate.
The Iron Dome assistance was folded into more than 2,700 pages of a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package that also included $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. The package now goes to the Senate, where it must be passed by Friday at midnight to avoid an impending government shutdown this weekend.
Congress members were given just a few hours to review the bill before it was presented for the vote.
In addition, $3.8 billion in annual military aid to Israel, promised in a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Israel, was also approved. But this is only the first stage in approving the aid budget for Israel.
The approved aid includes half a billion dollars for US-Israel missile defense cooperation on the Iron Dome and David’s Sling and Arrow systems, which “keeps Americans and Israelis safe, supports our economy, and creates American jobs,” AIPAC noted.
As part of the package, $47.5 million was approved for US-Israel anti-tunnel technology cooperation. “Israeli expertise in anti-tunnel technology protects US forces deployed across the globe, keeps Israelis safe, and provides important homeland security benefits,” AIPAC pointed out.
Another $25 million is designated for US-Israel counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) cooperation. “Israeli innovation in counter-drone technology helps secure Americans at home and prevent attacks against our citizens abroad,” said AIPAC.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz thanked the US for its approval of the measure “with the aim of ensuring Israel’s security and enabling us to better protect our citizens.”
אני מבקש להודות בנוסף לחברי מזכיר ההגנה האמריקאי לויד אוסטין, שדחף את ההצעה. הקשר האסטרטגי ביננו לבין ארה"ב, שמבוסס על ברית אינטרסים וערכים משותפים, חיוני לביטחון ישראל ולשמירה על עליונותה הביטחונית באזור ונעשה הכל כדי לחזק אותו ולשמור עליו. pic.twitter.com/kcFTRldXh1
— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) March 10, 2022
He gave special thanks to President Joe Biden “for his leadership and uncompromising support for Israel’s security.” He also thanked US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, “for his steadfast commitment to the extraordinary US-Israel ties and defense cooperation,” who pushed the proposal.
“The strategic relationship between Israel and the United States, which is based on an alliance of common interests and values, is essential for Israel’s security and for maintaining its security superiority in the region, and everything is being done to strengthen and maintain it,” he stated.
“Once again we witness the extraordinary bond between the US and Israel — a relationship that spans both sides of the aisle and that is based on common values, strategic interests and a shared aspiration for a more peaceful and free world,” Ganz tweeted.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid stated that the support Israel received “is a testament to the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States.”
He thanked the House of Representatives, the House Democratic and Republican leaderships, and “especially friends of Israel,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
“Thank you for supporting $1 billion in assistance for the lifesaving Iron Dome missile defense system, and for your commitment to the security of the State of Israel over the years,” he said.
AIPAC said that the approval of the total $4.8 billion package is the “demonstration of overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress for the US-Israel relationship.”
Israel originally requested the additional Iron Dome assistance following its depletion of the Iron Dome’s all-important Tamir interception missiles while fending off 4,400 missiles fired by Gaza’s Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist organization during its war last May against the Jewish State.
The approval of the package came after a nine-month delay due to repeated moves to block it by Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who voted against the measure four times despite its overwhelming approval each time in the House.
Paul insisted the funding be taken from the $6 billion in proposed US aid to Afghanistan.
In addition, the House voted to ban US imports of Russian oil and other energy in response to the war on Ukraine, following by one day an executive order by President Joe Biden to impose the ban. The bill also calls for a review of Russia’s participation in several international trade programs, such as the World Trade Organization, Reuters reported.
TPS contributed to this report.
