I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2062 

To authorize assistance, upon request of the Government of Israel, for the 

development, maintenance, enhancement, and sustainment, and procurement of anti-missile defense systems. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2017 

Ms. ROSEN (for herself and Mr. LAMBORN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize assistance, upon request of the Government 

of Israel, for the development, maintenance, enhancement, and sustainment, and procurement of anti-missile 

defense systems. 

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 ‘‘Defend Israel Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The Jewish State of Israel, as a close and 

8 indispensable ally of the United States, with whom 


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1 the United States enjoys mutually beneficial mili2 tary, intelligence, homeland security, scientific, tech3 nological, and other cooperation, deserves all nec4 essary assistance to defend itself and its citizens 

5 from the many threats that it continues to face. 

6 (2) The State of Israel has been under grave 

7 threat and frequent attack from missiles, rockets, 

8 and mortar shells fired at Israeli civilian targets by 

9 militants from the foreign terrorist organization 

10 Hamas on its southern border and by the foreign 

11 terrorist organization Hezbollah on its northern bor12 der, which have killed, wounded, or inflicted psycho13 logical trauma on countless Israelis. 

14 (3) On February 27, 2017, Hamas launched 

15 several high-trajectory rocket attacks on the Western 

16 Negev. This followed numerous rocket launches over 

17 the last two-and-a-half years since Operation Protec18 tive Edge. 

19 (4) Experts estimate that Hamas has thou20 sands of rockets in its arsenal. 

21 (5) Hezbollah has a missile arsenal of 120,000 

22 to 150,000 short- and medium-range rockets, along 

23 with approximately 20,000 active duty forces, many 

24 of whom gained combat experience in Syria. 


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1 (6) Hezbollah also possesses anti-aircraft and 

2 anti-ship missiles, thousands of anti-tank missiles, 

3 and an increasing fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles. 

4 (7) Iran continues to test ballistic missile tech5 nology in violation of United Nations Security Coun6 cil Resolution 2231 (2015). 

7 (8) The United States remains committed to 

8 Israel’s qualitative military edge, including its ad9 vantage over non-state actors such as Hamas and 

10 Hezbollah and against enemies like Iran. 

11 (9) The United States can help to advance its 

12 own vital national security interests and the cause of 

13 peace by supporting Israel’s ability to defend itself 

14 against rocket, missile, and other threats. 

15 (10) In the face of threats from its neighbors 

16 and non-state actors, Israel historically has sought 

17 the means to defend itself, by itself. 

18 (11) The United States signed the largest as19 sistance agreement ever with the State of Israel in 

20 2016, which will provide up to $38 billion to Israel 

21 over a ten-year period. Such agreement applies to 

22 funding in 2019. 


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1 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL FOR 

2 ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 

4 Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State, is author5 ized to provide assistance, upon request of the Government 

6 of Israel, for the development, maintenance, enhancement, 

7 and sustainment, and procurement of anti-missile defense 

8 systems. 

9 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

10 authorized to be appropriated to the President to carry 

11 out this section $705,800,000 for fiscal year 2018. 

Æ 


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