I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 938 

To strengthen the strategic alliance between the United States and Israel, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 4, 2013 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Mr. DEUTCH) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To strengthen the strategic alliance 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Strategic Partnership Act of 2013’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The turmoil in the Middle East poses a se2 rious threat to United States national security inter3 ests and requires cooperation with allies that are 

4 willing to work with the United States in pursuit of 

5 shared objectives. 

6 (2) The October 31, 1998, Memorandum of 

7 Agreement signed by President Clinton and Prime 

8 Minister Netanyahu commits the United States to 

9 working jointly with Israel towards enhancing 

10 Israel’s defensive and deterrent capabilities and up11 grading the framework of the United States-Israel 

12 strategic and military relationships, as well as the 

13 technological cooperation between both countries. 

14 (3) On August 16, 2007, the United States and 

15 Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding re16 affirming United States commitment to the security 

17 of Israel and establishing a 10-year framework for 

18 incremental increases in United States military as19 sistance to Israel. 

20 (4) The Memorandum of Understanding signed 

21 two years later on January 16, 2009 reaffirmed the 

22 United States commitment and noted ‘‘the security, 

23 military and intelligence cooperation between the 

24 United States and Israel’’. 


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1 (5) The United States and Israel conduct a 

2 semi-annual Strategic Dialogue. The Department of 

3 State, in a statement following the July 12, 2012, 

4 meeting of the Strategic Dialogue, noted that the 

5 discussions focused on such issues of mutual concern 

6 as ‘‘Iran’s continued quest to develop nuclear weap7 ons, which the United States and Israel are both de8 termined to prevent’’ and ‘‘how the continued vio9 lence of the Syrian regime against its citizens [as10 sisted by Iran and Hezbollah] could also lead to se11 vere consequences for the entire region’’. 

12 SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF POLICY. 

13 Congress declares that Israel is a major strategic 

14 partner of the United States. 

15 SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES-ISRAEL EN16 HANCED SECURITY COOPERATION ACT OF 

17 2012. 

18 (a) UNITED STATES ACTIONS TO ASSIST IN THE DE19 FENSE OF ISRAEL AND PROTECT UNITED STATES INTER20 ESTS.—Section 4 of the United States-Israel Enhanced 

21 Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–150; 

22 22 U.S.C. 8603) is amended— 

23 (1) by striking ‘‘It is the sense of Congress that 

24 the United States Government should’’ and inserting 


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1 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The President should, to the 

2 maximum extent practicable,’’; and 

3 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this subsection, the President 

6 shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation 

7 of this section.’’. 

8 (b) EXTENSION OF WAR RESERVES STOCKPILE AU9 THORITY.—Section 5(a) of the United States-Israel En10 hanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public Law 

11 112–150) is amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(a) EXTENSION OF WAR RESERVES STOCKPILE AU13 THORITY.— 

14 ‘‘(1) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIA15 TIONS ACT, 2005.—Section 12001(d) of the Depart16 ment of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public 

17 Law 108–287; 118 Stat. 1011), is amended by strik18 ing ‘more than 10 years after’ and inserting ‘more 

19 than 11 years after’. 

20 ‘‘(2) FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.—Sec21 tion 514(b)(2)(A) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

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

23 striking ‘and 2014’ and inserting ‘, 2014, and 

24 2015’.’’. 


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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE FOR ISRAEL. 

2 (a) FINDING.—Congress finds that Israel has adopt3 ed high standards in the field of export controls, including 

4 by becoming adherent to the Australia Group, the Missile 

5 Technology Control Regime, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, 

6 and the Wassenaar Arrangement, and by enacting robust 

7 legislation and regulations for the control of dual-use and 

8 defense items. 

9 (b) EXPEDITED LICENSING PROCEDURES.—The 

10 President should include Israel on the list of destinations 

11 described in paragraph (c)(1) of section 740.20 of title 15, 

12 Code of Federal Regulations (relating to License Excep13 tion Strategic Trade Authorization). 

14 (c) OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORA15 TION.—In carrying out its authorities under title IV of 

16 chapter 2 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 

17 (22 U.S.C. 2191 et seq.), the Overseas Private Investment 

18 Corporation should consider giving preference to providing 

19 insurance, financing, or reinsurance for energy and water 

20 projects in Israel. 

21 (d) ENERGY, WATER, HOMELAND SECURITY, AGRI22 CULTURE, AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL TECHNOLOGIES.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized 

24 to carry out United States-Israel cooperative activi25 ties and to provide assistance promoting cooperation 


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1 in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, ag2 riculture, and alternative fuel technologies. 

3 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out para4 graph (1), the President is authorized to share and 

5 exchange with Israel research, technology, intel6 ligence, information, equipment, and personnel that 

7 the President determines will advance the national 

8 security interests of the United States and is con9 sistent with the Strategic Dialogue and pertinent 

10 provisions of law— 

11 (A) by enhancing scientific cooperation be12 tween Israel and the United States; or 

13 (B) by the sale, lease, exchange in kind, or 

14 other techniques the President determines to be 

15 suitable. 

16 SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF EXISTING AUTHORIZATION OF 

17 UNITED STATES-ISRAEL ENERGY COOPERA18 TION. 

19 Section 917(c) of the Energy Independence and Secu20 rity Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17337(c)) is amended by 

21 striking ‘‘7 years’’ and inserting ‘‘17 years’’. 


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1 SEC. 7. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL COOPERATION ON CYBER2 SECURITY. 

3 It is a sense of Congress that the United States and 

4 Israel should take steps and explore avenues to increase 

5 cooperation on cyber-security. 

6 SEC. 8. STATEMENT OF UNITED STATES POLICY REGARD7 ING ISRAEL’S DEFENSE SYSTEMS. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress— 

9 (1) commends the first phase completion of the 

10 David’s Sling Weapon System (DSWS) by the Israel 

11 Missile Defense Organization and the U.S. Missile 

12 Defense Agency, which is designed to provide addi13 tional opportunities for interception by the joint 

14 United States-Israel Arrow Weapon System (Arrow 

15 2 and Arrow 3); 

16 (2) congratulates the Israel Missile Defense Or17 ganization and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency on 

18 successfully executing the Arrow 3 flyout of a more 

19 advanced interceptor, which will improve Israel’s de20 fenses against upper tier ballistic missile threats 

21 from nations including Iran; 

22 (3) recognizes that during Operation Pillar of 

23 Defense in November 2012, Israel deployed Iron 

24 Dome short-range rocket defense batteries to inter25 cept Hamas-launched rockets fired from Gaza—of 

26 those rockets that posed a threat to the life of 


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1 Israeli citizens, 80 to 85 percent were successfully 

2 intercepted, saving countless lives; and 

3 (4) agrees that, as stated by former Secretary 

4 of Defense Leon Panetta, ‘‘Iron Dome performed, I 

5 think it’s fair to say, remarkably well during the re6 cent escalation . . . Iron Dome does not start wars. 

7 It helps prevent wars.’’. 

8 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—The President, acting 

9 through the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

10 State, should provide assistance, upon request by the Gov11 ernment of Israel, for the enhancement of the David’s 

12 Sling Weapon System, the enhancement of the joint 

13 United States-Israel Arrow Weapon System (Arrow 2 and 

14 Arrow 3), and the procurement and enhancement of the 

15 Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system for purposes 

16 of intercepting short-range rockets, missiles, and other 

17 projectiles launched against Israel. 

18 SEC. 9. REPORT ON ELIGIBILITY OF ISRAEL FOR VISA 

19 WAIVER PROGRAM. 

20 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 

21 of the United States to include Israel in the list of coun22 tries that participate in the visa waiver program under 

23 section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 

24 U.S.C. 1187) when Israel satisfies the requirements for 

25 inclusion in such program specified in such section. 


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1 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

2 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 

3 submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House 

4 of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary 

5 of the Senate a report on the extent to which Israel satis6 fies the requirements specified in section 217 of the Immi7 gration and Nationality Act for inclusion in the visa waiver 

8 program under such section and what additional steps, if 

9 any, are required in order for Israel to qualify for inclusion 

10 in such program. 

Æ 


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