112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2165 

AN ACT 

To enhance strategic cooperation between the United States 

and Israel, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
2 

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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Israel 

3 Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress makes the following findings: 

6 (1) Since 1948, United States Presidents and 

7 both houses of Congress, on a bipartisan basis and 

8 supported by the American people, have repeatedly 

9 reaffirmed the special bond between the United 

10 States and Israel, based on shared values and 

11 shared interests. 

12 (2) The Middle East is undergoing rapid 

13 change, bringing with it hope for an expansion of de14 mocracy but also great challenges to the national se15 curity of the United States and our allies in the re16 gion, particularly to our most important ally in the 

17 region, Israel. 

18 (3) The Government of the Islamic Republic of 

19 Iran is continuing its decades-long pattern of seek20 ing to foment instability and promote extremism in 

21 the Middle East, particularly in this time of dra22 matic political transition. 

23 (4) At the same time, the Government of the 

24 Islamic Republic of Iran continues to enrich ura25 nium in defiance of multiple United Nations Secu26 rity Council resolutions. 
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1 (5) A nuclear-weapons capable Iran would fun2 damentally threaten vital United States interests, 

3 encourage regional nuclear proliferation, further em4 power Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of ter5 ror, and pose a serious and destabilizing threat to 

6 Israel and the region. 

7 (6) Over the past several years, with the assist8 ance of the Governments of the Islamic Republic of 

9 Iran and Syria, Hizbollah and Hamas have in10 creased their stockpile of rockets, with more than 

11 60,000 now ready to be fired at Israel. The Govern12 ment of the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to 

13 add to its arsenal of ballistic missiles and cruise mis14 siles, which threaten Iran’s neighbors, Israel, and 

15 United States Armed Forces in the region. 

16 (7) As a result, Israel is facing a fundamentally 

17 altered strategic environment. 

18 (8) Pursuant to chapter 5 of title 1 of the 

19 Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations 

20 Act, 2003 (Public Law 108–11; 117 Stat. 576), the 

21 authority to make available loan guarantees to Israel 

22 is currently set to expire on September 30, 2012. 

23 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

24 It is the policy of the United States: 
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1 (1) To reaffirm our unwavering commitment to 

2 the security of the State of Israel as a Jewish state. 

3 As President Barack Obama stated on December 16, 

4 2011, ‘‘America’s commitment and my commitment 

5 to Israel and Israel’s security is unshakeable.’’ And 

6 as President George W. Bush stated before the 

7 Israeli Knesset on May 15, 2008, on the 60th anni8 versary of the founding of the State of Israel, ‘‘The 

9 alliance between our governments is unbreakable, yet 

10 the source of our friendship runs deeper than any 

11 treaty.’’. 

12 (2) To help the Government of Israel preserve 

13 its qualitative military edge amid rapid and uncer14 tain regional political transformation. 

15 (3) To veto any one-sided anti-Israel resolutions 

16 at the United Nations Security Council. 

17 (4) To support Israel’s inherent right to self-de18 fense. 

19 (5) To pursue avenues to expand cooperation 

20 with the Government of Israel both in defense and 

21 across the spectrum of civilian sectors, including 

22 high technology, agriculture, medicine, health, phar23 maceuticals, and energy. 

24 (6) To assist the Government of Israel with its 

25 ongoing efforts to forge a peaceful, negotiated settle-
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1 ment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results 

2 in two states living side-by-side in peace and secu3 rity, and to encourage Israel’s neighbors to recognize 

4 Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. 

5 (7) To encourage further development of ad6 vanced technology programs between the United 

7 States and Israel given current trends and insta8 bility in the region. 

9 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES ACTIONS TO ASSIST IN THE DE10 FENSE OF ISRAEL AND PROTECT UNITED 

11 STATES INTERESTS. 

12 It is the sense of Congress that the United States 

13 Government should take the following actions to assist in 

14 the defense of Israel: 

15 (1) Seek to enhance the capabilities of the Gov16 ernments of the United States and Israel to address 

17 emerging common threats, increase security coopera18 tion, and expand joint military exercises. 

19 (2) Provide the Government of Israel such sup20 port as may be necessary to increase development 

21 and production of joint missile defense systems, par22 ticularly such systems that defend against the ur23 gent threat posed to Israel and United States forces 

24 in the region. 
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1 (3) Provide the Government of Israel assistance 

2 specifically for the production and procurement of 

3 the Iron Dome defense system for purposes of inter4 cepting short-range missiles, rockets, and projectiles 

5 launched against Israel. 

6 (4) Provide the Government of Israel defense 

7 articles and defense services through such mecha8 nisms as appropriate, to include air refueling tank9 ers, missile defense capabilities, and specialized mu10 nitions. 

11 (5) Provide the Government of Israel additional 

12 excess defense articles, as appropriate, in the wake 

13 of the withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq. 

14 (6) Examine ways to strengthen existing and 

15 ongoing efforts, including the Gaza Counter Arms 

16 Smuggling Initiative, aimed at preventing weapons 

17 smuggling into Gaza pursuant to the 2009 agree18 ment following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as 

19 well as measures to protect against weapons smug20 gling and terrorist threats from the Sinai Peninsula. 

21 (7) Offer the Air Force of Israel additional 

22 training and exercise opportunities in the United 

23 States to compensate for Israel’s limited air space. 

24 (8) Work to encourage an expanded role for 

25 Israel with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
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1 (NATO), including an enhanced presence at NATO 

2 headquarters and exercises. 

3 (9) Expand already-close intelligence coopera4 tion, including satellite intelligence, with Israel. 

5 SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL STEPS TO DEFEND ISRAEL AND PRO6 TECT AMERICAN INTERESTS. 

7 (a) EXTENSION OF WAR RESERVES STOCKPILE AU8 THORITY.— 

9 (1) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIA10 TIONS ACT, 2005.—Section 12001(d) of the Depart11 ment of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public 

12 Law 108–287; 118 Stat. 1011) is amended by strik13 ing ‘‘more than 8 years after’’ and inserting ‘‘more 

14 than 10 years after’’. 

15 (2) FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.—Sec16 tion 514(b)(2)(A) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

17 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321h(b)(2)(A)) is amended by 

18 striking ‘‘fiscal years 2011 and 2012’’ and inserting 

19 ‘‘fiscal years 2013 and 2014’’. 

20 (b) EXTENSION OF LOAN GUARANTEES TO

21 ISRAEL.—Chapter 5 of title I of the Emergency Wartime 

22 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 (Public Law 108– 

23 11; 117 Stat. 576) is amended under the heading ‘‘LOAN

24 GUARANTEES TO ISRAEL’’— 
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1 (1) in the matter preceding the first proviso, by 

2 striking ‘‘September 30, 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘Sep3 tember 30, 2015’’; and 

4 (2) in the second proviso, by striking ‘‘Sep5 tember 30, 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘September 30, 

6 2015’’. 

7 SEC. 6. REPORTS REQUIRED. 

8 (a) REPORT ON ISRAEL’S QUALITATIVE MILITARY

9 EDGE (QME).— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

11 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

12 President shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 

13 Relations of the Senate and the Committee on For14 eign Affairs of the House of Representatives a re15 port on the status of Israel’s qualitative military 

16 edge in light of current trends and instability in the 

17 region. 

18 (2) SUBSTITUTION FOR QUADRENNIAL RE19 PORT.—If submitted within one year of the date 

20 that the first quadrennial report required by section 

21 201(c)(2) of the Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008 

22 (Public Law 110–429; 22 U.S.C. 2776 note) is due 

23 to be submitted, the report required by paragraph 

24 (1) may substitute for such quadrennial report. 
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1 (b) REPORTS ON OTHER MATTERS.—Not later than 

2 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

3 President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

4 committees a report on each of the following matters: 

5 (1) Taking into account the Government of 

6 Israel’s urgent requirement for F–35 aircraft, ac7 tions to improve the process relating to its purchase 

8 of F–35 aircraft, particularly with respect to cost ef9 ficiency and timely delivery. 

10 (2) Efforts to expand cooperation between the 

11 United States and Israel in homeland security, 

12 counter-terrorism, maritime security, energy, cyber13 security, and other related areas. 

14 (3) Actions to integrate Israel into the defense 

15 of the Eastern Mediterranean. 

16 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT19 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com20 mittees’’ means— 

21 (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

22 Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 

23 on Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee 

24 on Intelligence of the Senate; and 
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1 (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

2 Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 

3 on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select 

4 Committee on Intelligence of the House of Rep5 resentatives. 

6 (2) QUALITATIVE MILITARY EDGE.—The term 

7 ‘‘qualitative military edge’’ has the meaning given 

8 the term in section 36(h)(2) of the Arms Export 

9 Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(h)(2)). 

Passed the Senate June 29, 2012. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2165 

AN ACT 

To enhance strategic cooperation between the 

United States and Israel, and for other purposes.