12 US senators demand removal of provisions expanding cooperation with Israel from the defense budget

Letter from twelve senators

On Tuesday, twelve US senators, including Chris Van Hollen, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, asked congressional leaders to remove three provisions from the compromise defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2027 (NDAA). According to Anadolu citing the joint letter, the lawmakers believe these provisions would 'further entrench troubling aspects of the US–Israel defense and intelligence relationship' at a time when, in their view, the Israeli government's actions undermine US interests and values.

Which provisions are being challenged

The main objection concerns Section 1217 of the Senate Armed Services Committee bill and Section 219 of the version passed by the House of Representatives: they mandate the creation of a 'US–Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.' The program is meant to accelerate bilateral joint production, technology transfer and joint research in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber warfare, biotechnology and autonomous systems. The senators note that Washington normally does not share or jointly produce technologies in such sensitive areas even with treaty allies, including NATO members, and that President Donald Trump already has the authority to conclude bilateral agreements without a congressional mandate. The third challenged provision is Section 618 in the intelligence title: it directs expanding intelligence sharing with Israel and prohibits the executive branch from suspending, reducing or substantially limiting this cooperation.

Lawmakers' arguments and warnings

In the authors' view, the disputed provisions would 'tie the administration's hands' in independently determining how to protect US national security and would lock Washington into open-ended commitments amid concerns over Israeli operations in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and the region more broadly. The senators warn that deep integration would give Israel leverage over American military assets: they cite Israel's previous use of co-production terms on missile defense to block the transfer of US Iron Dome batteries to Ukraine. The letter separately notes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly claimed credit for the framework shift in defense ties 'from assistance to partnership,' which, in the senators' view, would replace transparent military financing channels with opaque defense procurement. They call restricting the president's ability to adjust intelligence sharing 'irresponsible,' especially after disclosures that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) recently raised the counterintelligence threat from Israel to its highest level. The letter reflects the position of its signatories; the fate of the challenged sections will be decided during negotiations on the final version of the bill between the chambers.