H. Res. 729 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 13, 2016. 

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’’; 
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•HRES 729 EH 

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 
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•HRES 729 EH 

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 
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•HRES 729 EH 

(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. 

Attest: 

Clerk.