Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has proposed $17.6 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to provide military assistance to Israel in a stand-alone appropriations bill. The Senate is also considering a package which includes aid to Israel along with legislation on immigration reform and aid to Ukraine.
The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is strongly in favor of the Israel aid, and while we understand the political need to sometimes put things in packages, Israel's survival and present urgent needs are too important to America's national interest to complicate the passage of that aid while combining it with other priorities. The vast majority of both houses of Congress want to pass aid to Israel, and that is what should happen.
The ZOA strongly condemns President Biden's statement that he would veto a stand-alone appropriations bill to Israel. This threat makes no sense, and could cost Israeli and American lives if actually carried out. Hamas and Iran would be thrilled with a Biden veto!
The Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act includes $4 billion to replenish Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems, $1.2 billion for the Iron Beam defense system to counter short-range attacks, $3.5 billion for the procurement of advanced weapons systems through the Foreign Military Financing Program and $1 billion to enhance production and development of artillery and critical munitions. The bill also provides several billion dollars for U.S. military operations in the region in response to the October 7th attacks.
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Director of Government Relations Dan Pollak said:
"The priority for Congress must be to provide ammunition resupply to Israel so that the Arab Islamic terrorists of Hamas can be destroyed, and all Israeli and American Hostages freed as soon as possible. The people of Israel have been very thankful for the resupply that has occurred from American stocks, but more must be done to support Israel now. There are reports of Israel having to conserve ammunition while waiting for resupply. The United States must make the lives of the IDF soldiers in combat a priority. The threat by President Biden to veto aid to Israel if other priorities of the administration are not included in the same bill is political gamesmanship at its worst.
"The Biden administration is at the same time denying the obvious culpability of Iran in the October 7th atrocities and putting frankly absurd pressure on Israel to make unilateral concessions on the post-war governance of Gaza, and even the establishment of another terrorist Arab state in the region. The pattern is unmistakable and amounts to policy malpractice. The enemy in the current war being fought by Israel and America is Iran. Tactically, Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists and Hezbollah terrorists, while the U.S. is fighting Houthi terrorists and Iraqi terrorists, but the terrorist threat is coming directly and quite purposefully from Iran itself."
The ZOA encourages all members of the House to support the bill (H. R. 7217) sponsored by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA). A vote is expected this week. |
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