Proposed law will fuse U.S., Israeli military

Editor, OBSERVER:

Every year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) presents its wish list of monies for the coming year. Lobbyists for the “defense industry” submit a massive document — over a thousand pages — that very few read in its entirety. In general, Congress subsequently enacts the laws granting upwards of $1.5 trillion for the “military industrial complex.”

The NDAA for 2027, released May 13, contains a proposal — section 224 in the House bill — that will virtually merge the U.S. military with the Israeli military. The proposed legislation, titled the United States-Israel Technology Cooperation Initiative, calls for “bilateral research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, licensing agreements” and every manner of U.S.-military cooperation.

While the U.S. and Israel already work together on missile defense, surveillance and intelligence systems, the provision would expand every area of defense tech, including AI, directed energy, and biotechnology. The U.S. is the number one arms dealer in the world. Historically, the U.S. has worked closely with NATO via the Defense Production Action Plan but has never fused its relationship with the buyer of its weapons.

To date, the only opposition in Congress to the proposed merger comes from congressmen Ro Khanna (D – California) and Thomas Massie (R – Kentucky). “If the provision in the NDAA to integrate/synchronize the U.S. and Israeli militaries (section 224) makes it out of committee, I’ll offer an amendment to strip it from the bill on the floor,” Massie stated. But the Kentucky congressman lost his bid for re-election last month and will no longer be in Congress after January.

ROY HARVEY,

Mayville