US Senator Tom Cotton and pro-Israel allies are pursuing problematic legislation that has largely gone under the radar of most mainstream media. If passed, these bills and amendments would embed the US-Israel security relationship more deeply within the Pentagon’s institutional framework, making it substantially harder for future presidents and Congresses to reconsider one of America’s most consequential foreign policy commitments.This comes at a crucial time. The 10-year Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Israel which grants the latter $38bn in military aid is expiring in 2028. At this time, Washington should be discussing whether the arrangement continues to serve American interests, whether future aid should carry conditions, and whether the transformed Middle East warrants a different approach. Instead, Senate Republicans are building a legislative architecture that could preclude any change in policy.Their strategy is trying to bypass the traditional foreign aid and military cooperation process by embedding amendments in large budget bills that have to pass. For example, a section of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027 would establish permanent integration of Israeli technology into US military research, procurement and manufacturing.Senator Cotton’s companion legislation, which is embedded into an intelligence authorisation bill, requires the president to expand US-Israeli intelligence cooperation on a list of subjects. It also restricts presidential authority to pause or limit intelligence-sharing. If these bills …
