U.S.-Israel Partnership to Hold Iran Accountable Act

To establish the United States-Israel joint commission to address Iranian compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the U.S.-Israel Partnership to Hold Iran Accountable Act 2. United States-Israel joint commission to address Iranian compliance with the JCPOA (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Enforcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is of mutual concern to the United States and Israel. (2) There is particular concern that as the world turns elsewhere, Iran will exploit inattention, violate the JCPOA, and eventually obtain a nuclear weapon. Iran is already violating the letter and spirit of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 through ballistic missile launches. (3) Invigorating high-level dialogue between the United States and Israel on a joint strategy to prevent a nuclear armed Iran would strengthen mutual efforts to accomplish that goal. (4) A joint commission between the United States and Israel could engage in senior-level dialogue on implementing the JCPOA, working together to detect cheating by Iran and preparing contingency responses in the event Iran has begun a breakout to a nuclear weapon. (5) Both the United States and Israel have developed highly capable nuclear experts who can help each other refine their plans to respond if Iran has begun a breakout to a nuclear weapon, as well as red team (6) Detecting covert weaponization activities is extraordinarily difficult and most indicative of a change in Iran’s calculus with respect to pursuing a nuclear weapon. It is critical that the United States and Israel coordinate among security professionals and political leadership to discuss how to identify and reach consensus on such a development. (b) Authorization The President, acting through the Secretary of State, is authorized to establish a joint commission with the Government of Israel to address Iranian compliance with the JCPOA. (c) Activities The commission should undertake the following activities: (1) Support professional dialogues to detect violations of the JCPOA by Iran, respond to such violations, and enhance technical monitoring capabilities. Such support may include travel and convening of conferences for meetings of nongovernmental experts. (2) Coordinate subcabinet level political discussions on contingency responses to violations of the JCPOA by Iran and responses to Iran’s destabilizing, non-nuclear activities, including its launching of missiles in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, support for terrorism, and human rights violations. (3) Coordinate technical discussions among the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Energy, and counterpart Israeli ministries on technical aspects of implementation of the JCPOA, including— (A) determining what constitutes a marginal violation of the JCPOA that would require international consultations and a flexible response and what constitutes a blatant violation of the JCPOA that should be challenged rapidly and decisively, such as the discovery of an undeclared nuclear facility or militarization activities; (B) determining red team (C) coordinating with the Department of Defense and the Israeli Ministry of Defense to facilitate joint military planning; and (D) providing recommendations to the Department of State regarding appropriate weapons sales to Israel to facilitate preparations by the United States and Israel to counter a serious violation of the JCPOA by Iran through military means. (d) Composition (1) United States members The following officials of the United States Government should be appointed as members of the commission: (A) The Secretary of State, who should serve as chairperson of the commission. (B) The Secretary of the Treasury. (C) The Secretary of Energy. (D) The Secretary of Defense. (2) Israeli members It is the sense of Congress that officials of the Government of Israel who are counterparts to the United States Government officials described in paragraph (1) should be appointed as members of the commission. (3) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the President should ensure participation by senior officials in the Executive Office of the President in the commission and ensure participation of relevant counterparts in the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel in the commission. (e) Coordination of military planning It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should conduct joint military planning with the Government of Israel based on contingency scenarios identified by the commission under subsection (c), such as responding to the detection of a covert Iranian enrichment facility, new Iranian efforts at weaponization, or other clear indicators that Iran has begun a breakout to a nuclear weapon. (f) Definition In this section, the term Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action JCPOA (g) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year 2017 such sums as may be necessary.

Summary: U.S.-Israel Partnership to Hold Iran Accountable Act This bill authorizes the Department of State to establish a joint commission with Israel to address Iranian compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The commission should: support professional dialogues to detect and respond to JCPOA violations by Iran; coordinate subcabinet level political discussions on contingency responses to such violations and responses to Iran's destabilizing, non-nuclear activities, including missile launches, support for terrorism, and human rights violations; and coordinate technical discussions among the State Department, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Energy, and counterpart Israeli ministries on technical aspects of JCPOA implementation. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: Israeli officials who are counterparts to specified U.S. officials should be appointed as commission members; the President should ensure commission participation by senior officials in the Executive Office of the President and counterparts in the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel; and the Department of Defense should conduct joint military planning with Israel based on commission-identified contingency scenarios, such as responding to the detection of a covert Iranian enrichment facility, new Iranian weaponization efforts, or other clear indicators that Iran has begun a nuclear weapon breakout.