I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5126 
To authorize assistance for procurement of missile defense systems for Israel, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2018 
Mrs. MURPHY of Florida (for herself and Mr. MAST) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in ad-
dition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize assistance for procurement of missile defense 
systems for Israel, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Deterring and Defeat-
ing Rocket and Missile Threats to Israel Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Israel is surrounded by adversaries. Threats 
to Israel emanate from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the 
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north, from the Iranian-supported regime of Bashar 
al-Assad in Syria to the northeast, from Hamas in 
the Gaza Strip to the south, and from Iran to the 
east. Each of these state and non-state actors pos-
sess an arsenal of rockets or missiles that could be 
used to target Israel. 
(2) Iran possesses the largest and most diverse 
missile arsenal in the Middle East, with thousands 
of medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles capable 
of striking Israel. 
(3) While Syria has used much of its ballistic 
missile inventory during its nearly seven-year civil 
war, it still maintains a robust arsenal of short- 
range ballistic missiles capable of striking Israel. 
(4) Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza 
possess almost 12,000 rockets that threaten south-
ern Israel. 
(5) Hezbollah, an entity designated as a ter-
rorist organization by the Department of State and 
the European Union, continues to procure rockets to 
deploy against Israel in violation of United Nations 
Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). 
(6) 
According 
to 
open 
source 
reporting, 
Hezbollah has developed an arsenal of between 
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100,000 and 150,000 rockets, and is seeking to de-
velop an indigenous rocket production capability. 
(7) In total, there are thousands of missiles and 
230,000 rockets aimed at Israel. In 2016, the Israeli 
military estimated that, in the event of a conflict in 
which rockets and missiles were fired at Israel from 
all directions, between 250 and 400 civilians would 
likely be killed in the conflict, including dozens in 
the Tel Aviv area. Hezbollah alone could launch 
1,200 rockets each day, a barrage that would over-
whelm Israel’s missile defense capabilities. 
(8) The 2016 Memorandum of Understanding 
Between the United States and Israel (relating to 
security assistance for fiscal years 2019 through 
2028) committed the United States to provide $500 
million annually to support Israel’s missile defense 
programs. 
(9) The 2016 Memorandum of Understanding 
further states that ‘‘both sides jointly commit to re-
spect the missile defense funding levels specified in 
this MOU’’ and that Israel may seek additional sup-
port in ‘‘exceptional circumstances as may be jointly 
agreed by the U.S. administration and Israel’’. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
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(1) the United States stands behind Israel in 
its quest for peace and security; 
(2) the United States should support Israel’s 
efforts to defend itself against its adversaries, in-
cluding by facilitating the procurement of missile de-
fense systems critical to the protection of Israel’s 
population; and 
(3) there are currently an insufficient number 
of missile defense systems and interceptors to ad-
dress the full scope of Israel’s self-defense require-
ments in light of the rocket and missile threat to 
Israel. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE FOR PROCURE-
MENT OF MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS FOR 
ISRAEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State, is author-
ized to provide assistance, upon request of the Government 
of Israel and for jointly agreed upon exceptional cir-
cumstances, to the Government of Israel for the procure-
ment of missile defense systems, including the Iron Dome, 
David Sling, and Arrow systems, additional interceptors 
for those systems or any future missile defense systems, 
and missile defense development. 
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(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Any assistance pro-
vided under the authority of subsection (a) is in addition 
to any assistance provided under the authority specified 
in the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding Between the 
United States and Israel. 
(c) LIMITATION.—The authority specified in sub-
section (a) shall be exclusively for the purpose of enhanc-
ing Israeli missile defense, consistent with the 2016 
Memorandum of Understanding Between the United 
States and Israel, to address mutually agreed-upon excep-
tional circumstances. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 10 days after the date 
on which the United States Government receives a request 
from the Government of Israel as described in subsection 
(a), the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the 
Secretary of State, shall submit to Congress a report that 
contains the following: 
(1) A written copy of the request from the Gov-
ernment of Israel. 
(2) An assessment of the request from the Gov-
ernment of Israel. 
(3) The urgent nature of the rocket and missile 
threat to Israel and a description of potential at-
tacks against Israel which would justify exceeding 
the annual amount of United States assistance to 
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support Israel’s missile defense programs under the 
2016 Memorandum of Understanding Between the 
United States and Israel. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the President such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section. 
(2) REPLENISHMENT.—If amounts made avail-
able for the Missile Defense Agency are used to 
carry out this section for a fiscal year, the President 
shall replenish such amounts for the Missile Defense 
Agency for the subsequent fiscal year from amounts 
made available pursuant to the authorization of ap-
propriations under paragraph (1) for such subse-
quent fiscal year. 
Æ 
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