Section 1217, also known as the US-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative, is a dangerous provision buried in the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Although the House already passed its version of the NDAA with this initiative (known as Section 219) back in July, the Senate has yet to pass theirs before both chambers negotiate a final bill. Both the House and Senate versions include the section that will merge the research and production lines of the Israeli and American arms industries, deepening the Israel-U.S. relationship, as the devastation in Gaza worsens.

What's Inside the Bill?

Section 1217 expands U.S.–Israel defense cooperation across research, development, production, procurement, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, missile defense, and other emerging technologies.  The Senate version directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with Israel's defense minister, to develop a permanent, statutorily mandated program.

What makes it so concerning is that by merging our defense industrial bases, the US-Israel relationship becomes less foreign-aid based and allows Israel to directly purchase US weapons. In other words, the US loses its leverage to hold Israel accountable because, by moving away from foreign aid, lawmakers can no longer use aid cutoffs or conditions to influence Israeli policy decisions. 

The NDAA is a time-sensitive must-pass bill and the Senate is expected to pass its version by December. We need to make sure Section 1217 is not included in the final version. 

Time is running out, so reach out to your senator today.