Bill to provide $1 billion for Israel Iron Dome system introduced in US Congress
The leader of the US House of Representatives Appropriations Committee introduced legislation on Wednesday to provide $1 billion to Israel to replenish its “Iron Dome” missile-defense system, a day after the funding was removed from a broader spending bill.
Some of the most liberal House Democrats had objected to the provision and said they would vote against the broad spending bill. This threatened its passage because Republicans were lined up against the plan to fund the federal government through Dec. 3 and raise the nation’s borrowing limit.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The removal led Republicans to label Democrats as anti-Israel, despite a long tradition in the US Congress of strong support from both parties for the Jewish state, to which Washington sends billions of dollars in aid every year.
The US has already provided more than $1.6 billion for Israel to develop and build the Iron Dome system, according to a Congressional Research Service report last year.
Some liberal Democrats have voiced concerns this year about US-Israel policy, citing among other things the many Palestinian casualties as Israel responded to Hamas rocket attacks in May. Israel said most of the 4,350 rockets fired from Gaza during the conflict were blown out of the sky by Iron Dome interceptors.
The bill introduced on Wednesday by Representative Rosa DeLauro provides $1 billion to replace missile interceptors used during that conflict.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had said on Tuesday evening he would bring the Iron Dome bill to the House floor later this week.
Read more:
Israel used ‘killer robot’ machine gun to assassinate Iran nuclear scientist: Report
Anger as US progressive Democrats object to Israel’s Iron Dome funding
Global partnership is critical to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Jordan’s King
-
Israel used ‘killer robot’ machine gun to assassinate Iran nuclear scientist: Report
The working theory that Israel had assassinated Iran’s top nuclear scientist last November using a “killer robot” has now been confirmed by American, ... Features -
Anger as US progressive Democrats object to Israel’s Iron Dome funding
A group of leftist US Democrats came under heavy fire Tuesday after reportedly vowing to nix a short-term spending bill over a $1 billion allocation ... Middle East -
Global partnership is critical to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Jordan’s King
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that global partnership is critical to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during his speech at the United ... Middle East