6,000 calls in 72 hours to fight Netanyahu's plan

 

The dangerous proposal to permanently intertwine the U.S. and Israel’s military defense tech has advanced in the Senate. But it’s not too late to stop it. Last Thursday, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) voted to approve their version of FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), closing out the first phase of a months-long process required to pass the bill into law.  We now know that both versions of the bill advanced in the House and Senate contain a disastrous Netanyahu-backed proposal that aims to merge the U.S. and Israel’s military surveillance and tech apparatuses.  If passed, it would move the U.S.-Israel relationship beyond military “aid”, and toward something far more permanent and difficult to track: the integration of military technology, intelligence infrastructure, and the defense industries between both countries.  You made sure the provision wasn’t able to quietly slip into the bill. Thanks to you, key members of the Senate Armed Services Committee received nearly 6,000 phone calls within 72 hours demanding they reject policies like the U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative. Multiple staffers shared that their offices were flooded with calls, and our data shows that each Senator on our list got over 450 calls. Those numbers are an undeniable show of force. By taking action, you put Congress on notice that they will need to account for their position in the fight ahead. We’ve also heard that at least one committee member has changed their mind about the provision. I wrote more about the ominous plan, how we got here, and how we fight back in a new piece released today on our Substack, The Palestine Connection.

Read it on Substack

I won’t sugarcoat it. The fact that this policy is advancing in both the House and Senate is a worrisome outcome. But on the upside, the fight is far from over.  The next stop for this dangerous proposal is the House floor, where a vote is expected as early as this month. Congress members Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) have submitted an amendment to strip the measure from the House bill during the floor vote.  Our role in the weeks ahead is to ensure that lawmakers are rallying around Massie’s amendment and any other efforts to shut this disturbing policy down.  Each juncture in the process will be an opportunity to forcefully reject the destructive U.S.-Israel military alliance, educating and mobilizing dozens of lawmakers along the way. Once the House and the Senate hold floor votes on their respective versions of the NDAA, the two bills will be reconciled into one bill and voted on by both chambers once again. The growing bipartisan opposition to the toxic U.S.-Israel military alliance means we’re better positioned than ever to block them at every turn. Stay tuned for an updated call tool next week to connect you to Congress and other ways to take action to stop Netanyahu’s plan from moving ahead. I’m so grateful to have your support in this fight.

In solidarity,  Izzy M. Adalah Justice Project