II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2956 

To support the work of the United States Security Coordinator to Israel 

and the Palestinian Authority in furthering coordination between Israelis 

and Palestinians, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 27 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2023 

Mr. OSSOFF (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. LANKFORD, and Mr. BOOKER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To support the work of the United States Security Coordinator to Israel and the Palestinian Authority in furthering coordination between Israelis and Palestinians, 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Middle East Security 

5 Coordination Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Peace, stability, and security in Israel and 

2 the West Bank are in the national security interest 

3 of the United States. 

4 (2) Peace, stability, and security in Israel and 

5 the West Bank depend upon effective coordination 

6 and deconfliction between the Israel Defense Forces 

7 and the Palestinian Authority Security Forces. 

8 (3) The professionalism and capacity of Pales9 tinian Authority Security Forces is an important 

10 factor for safety and stability in Israel and the West 

11 Bank and critical to counterterrorism efforts. 

12 (4) Examples of security coordination between 

13 Israel and the Palestinian Authority include intel14 ligence sharing and operational coordination, 

15 deconfliction mechanisms and communication during 

16 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activity in the West 

17 Bank, joint counterterrorism initiatives and training, 

18 facilitation of Palestinian Authority Security Forces 

19 movement through Areas B and C, and the Pales20 tinian Authority Security Forces safely returning 

21 Israelis from Area A to the Israel Defense Forces. 

22 (5) Israeli security experts have attested that 

23 professionally trained and equipped and effective 

24 Palestinian Authority Security Forces would reliably 

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1 ventions into Area A and increase stability and secu2 rity for Israelis and Palestinians. 

3 (6) The core functions of the office of the 

4 United States Security Coordinator for Israel and 

5 the Palestinian Authority (USSC) are to execute 

6 transparent and successful coordination between 

7 Israeli security forces and Palestinian Authority Se8 curity Forces and to raise the effectiveness of the 

9 Palestinian Authority Security Forces. 

10 (7) Senior Israeli officials, including former de11 fense ministers and IDF chiefs of staff, have cred12 ited USSC-championed security coordination with 

13 the Palestinian Authority Security Forces as being 

14 responsible for eroding the ability of organized terror 

15 groups to carry out suicide attacks in Israeli cities 

16 and towns. 

17 (8) The USSC maintains unique trust and con18 fidence from both Israeli and Palestinian Authority 

19 security forces, agencies, and senior officials. 

20 (9) The multinational coalition that contributes 

21 to the mission of the USSC, which includes Bul22 garia, Canada, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Po23 land, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, dem24 onstrates the support of the international community 

25 for the mission, assists in sharing the personnel and 


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1 resource burden, and enables the United States to 

2 demonstrate a leading role, which brings legitimacy 

3 to the mission and enables coordination to be suc4 cessful. 

5 SEC. 3. SENSES OF CONGRESS. 

6 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON SECURITY COORDINA7 TION.—It is the sense of Congress that— 

8 (1) security coordination between Israel and the 

9 Palestinian Authority— 

10 (A) is in the national security interest of 

11 the United States; 

12 (B) protects Israeli and Palestinian civilian 

13 lives and combats acts of terror from groups 

14 like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and 

15 Hezbollah; 

16 (C) assists in reducing the need for Israeli 

17 military interventions in the West Bank; 

18 (D) provides greater stability and safety 

19 for the Palestinian people in the West Bank; 

20 and 

21 (E) supports regional peace and stability 

22 and improves the prospects for progress to23 wards a negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Pal24 estinian conflict; and 


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1 (2) the USSC is a crucial liaison for such effec2 tive coordination, professionalization, and commu3 nication. 

4 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON BURDEN SHARING.— 

5 It is the sense of Congress that— 

6 (1) the financial and personnel burden of the 

7 mission of the USSC should be shared by all part8 ners to the mission; and 

9 (2) the mission of the USSC should be ex10 panded to include additional nations, and the De11 partment of State, along with the USSC, should 

12 make it a priority to actively pursue contributions 

13 from additional states. 

14 SEC. 4. REPORTS. 

15 (a) COORDINATION REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 

16 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

17 thereafter for five years, the Secretary of State, in con18 sultation with the USSC, shall submit to the appropriate 

19 congressional committees a report that describes the ac20 tivities of the USSC during the preceding year, including 

21 descriptions of the security coordination activities the 

22 USSC has undertaken between the Government of Israel 

23 and the Palestinian Authority. 


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1 (b) CLASSIFIED ANNEX.—The reports required by 

2 subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form and 

3 may include a classified annex. 

4 (c) PROFESSIONALIZATION REPORT.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

6 the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

7 thereafter for five years, the Secretary of State, in 

8 consultation with the USSC, shall submit to the ap9 propriate congressional committees a report that de10 scribes the USSC’s efforts to professionalize Pales11 tinian security forces and to build, maintain, and 

12 sustain Palestinian security and justice sector insti13 tutions. 

14 (2) FORM.—The report required under para15 graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but 

16 include a classified annex. 

17 (d) BURDEN SHARING REPORT.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

19 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

20 of State, in consultation with the USSC, shall sub21 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a 

22 report that describes the viability of the inclusion of 

23 contributions to the mission of the USSC from addi24 tional countries, particularly those countries party to 


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1 the Abraham Accords and other Arab or Muslim2 majority countries. 

3 (2) FORM.—The report required under para4 graph (1) be submitted— 

5 (A) in classified form; or 

6 (B) in unclassified form and including a 

7 classified annex. 

8 SEC. 5. NOTIFICATION. 

9 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con10 gress that— 

11 (1) the mission of the USSC is most effective 

12 with— 

13 (A) a general or flag officer as the head of 

14 mission; 

15 (B) a head of mission rotation of at least 

16 3 years duration; and 

17 (C) senior uniformed personnel rotation of 

18 at least 2 years duration; and 

19 (2) the personnel contributions of other nations 

20 to the mission of the USSC are most effective with 

21 equivalent rotations. 

22 (b) IN GENERAL.—Beginning 180 days after the date 

23 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 

24 shall submit written notice and justification to appropriate 

25 congressional committees and the Committee on Armed 


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1 Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Serv2 ices of the House of Representatives not later than 120 

3 days before the date on which— 

4 (1) the head of mission of the USSC is to be 

5 replaced with a non-general or flag officer; 

6 (2) the head of mission of the USSC is to be 

7 rotated out of the head of mission’s current assign8 ment before 3 consecutive years of service in that 

9 position; or 

10 (3) any senior uniform personnel rotation of the 

11 USSC is to be rotated out of their current assign12 ment before 2 consecutive years of service in that 

13 position. 

14 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro16 priated $75,000,000 for each of the first 5 fiscal years 

17 beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

18 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts authorized pursuant to 

19 subsection (a) shall be available for the United States con20 tribution to the mission of the United States Security Co21 ordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. 

22 (c) RESTRICTION.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds author24 ized under subsection (a) may be used to provide le25 thal assistance of any kind. 


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1 (2) EXCEPTION.—The limitation on assistance 

2 under paragraph (1) shall not apply to ammunition 

3 and other lethal assistance needed for the purposes 

4 of training taking place outside of Israel and the 

5 West Bank. 

6 (d) APPLICATION OF TAYLOR FORCE ACT.—Funds 

7 authorized pursuant to subsection (a) shall be made avail8 able consistent with section 1004(a) of the Taylor Force 

9 Act (22 U.S.C. 2378c–1). 

10 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

11 In this Act: 

12 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT13 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com14 mittees’’ means— 

15 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

16 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

17 Senate; and 

18 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

19 the Committee on Appropriations of the House 

20 of Representatives. 

21 (2) SENIOR UNIFORMED PERSONNEL.—The 

22 term ‘‘senior uniformed personnel’’ means the senior 

23 staff of the USSC, which includes any personnel 

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1 lowing titles and responsibilities as of the date of the 

2 enactment of this Act: 

3 (A) Chief of Staff. 

4 (B) Director of Plans. 

5 (C) Director for Operations. 

6 (D) Legal Advisor. 

7 (E) Budget Director. 

Æ 


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