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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 729 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 729

 Expressing support for the expeditious consideration and finalization 
of a new, robust, and long-term Memorandum of Understanding on military 
   assistance to Israel between the United States Government and the 
                         Government of Israel.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 13, 2016

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Deutch, Ms. Granger, and Mrs. Lowey) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing support for the expeditious consideration and finalization 
of a new, robust, and long-term Memorandum of Understanding on military 
   assistance to Israel between the United States Government and the 
                         Government of Israel.

Whereas in April 1998 the United States designated Israel as a ``major non-NATO 
        ally'';
Whereas, on August 16, 2007, the United States and Israel signed a 10-year 
        Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on United States military assistance 
        to Israel, the total assistance over the course of this understanding 
        would equal $30,000,000,000;
Whereas since the signing of the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding, intelligence 
        and defense cooperation has continued to grow;
Whereas, on October 15, 2008, the Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008 was signed 
        into law (Public Law 110-429) and defined Israel's qualitative military 
        edge (QME) as ``the ability to counter and defeat any credible 
        conventional military threat from any individual state or possible 
        coalition of states or from non-state actors, while sustaining minimal 
        damage and casualties, through the use of superior military means, 
        possessed in sufficient quantity, including weapons, command, control, 
        communication, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance 
        capabilities that in their technical characteristics are superior in 
        capability to those of such other individual or possible coalition of 
        states or non-state actors'';
Whereas, on July 27, 2012, the United States-Israel Enhanced Security 
        Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-150) declared it to be the 
        policy of the United States ``to help the Government of Israel preserve 
        its qualitative military edge amid rapid and uncertain regional 
        political transformation'';
Whereas Israel faces immediate threats to its security from the United States 
        designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, Hezbollah, and its missile 
        and rocket stockpile estimated to number around 150,000, and from the 
        United States designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, Hamas, that 
        continues to attempt to rebuild its tunnel network to infiltrate Israel 
        and restock its own missile and rocket stockpiles;
Whereas Israel also faces immediate threats to its security from the ongoing 
        regional instability in the Middle East, especially from the ongoing 
        conflict in Syria and from militant groups in the Sinai;
Whereas Iran remains a threat to Israel, as demonstrated by Iran's continued 
        bellicosity, including several illegal tests of ballistic missiles 
        capable of carrying nuclear warheads, even reportedly marking several of 
        these weapons with Hebrew words declaring ``Israel must be wiped out'';
Whereas the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 authorized 
        funds to be appropriated for Israeli cooperative missile defense program 
        codevelopment and coproduction, including funds to be provided to the 
        Government of Israel to procure the David's Sling weapon system as well 
        as the Arrow 3 Upper Tier Interceptor Program; and
Whereas, on December 19, 2014, the President signed into law the United States-
        Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-296) which 
        stated the sense of Congress that Israel is a major strategic partner of 
        the United States and declared it to be the policy of the United States 
        ``to continue to provide Israel with robust security assistance, 
        including for the procurement of the Iron Dome Missile Defense System'': 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms that Israel is a major strategic partner of 
        the United States;
            (2) reaffirms that it is the policy and law of the United 
        States to ensure that Israel maintains its qualitative military 
        edge and has the capacity and capability to defend itself from 
        all threats;
            (3) reaffirms United States support of a robust Israeli 
        tiered missile defense program;
            (4) supports continued discussions between the Government 
        of the United States and the Government of Israel for a robust 
        and long-term Memorandum of Understanding on United States 
        military assistance to Israel;
            (5) urges the expeditious finalization of a new Memorandum 
        of Understanding between the Government of the United States 
        and the Government of Israel; and
            (6) supports a robust and long-term Memorandum of 
        Understanding negotiated between the United States and Israel 
        regarding military assistance which increases the amount of aid 
        from previous agreements and significantly enhances Israel's 
        military capabilities.
                                 <all>
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