Not since the infamous 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which allowed indefinite detention of American citizens, has the annual defense funding bill been so egregiously abused. Buried within this year’s legislation is a direct affront to every American who cherishes our national independence. Section 224 of the NDAA, known as the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” aims to deeply merge the Israeli military with our own by combining technology, manufacturing, intelligence sharing, and more.
Ben Freeman explained last week in Responsible Statecraft:
“The US and Israel already work together heavily on missile defense, but this provision would greatly expand coordination to seemingly every area of defense tech, including AI, quantum, autonomous systems, directed energy, cyber, biotech, and many more. It also proposes ‘network integration’ and ‘data fusion.’ In other words, the US military’s data could soon be the Israeli military’s data.”
Few actions could be more “America last” than granting a foreign government access to the Pentagon’s operations and our intelligence agencies.
The absurdity of Section 224 becomes glaring in light of recent reports that the Pentagon has elevated concerns over Israeli espionage against the United States and its officials to a “critical” threat level.
We should reject any plan to “integrate” our armed forces with another country, especially one deemed a “critical” espionage risk to our national security. This decision defies all logic.
The challenge for US lawmakers is that following the violence in Gaza and Lebanon, many Americans—particularly younger generations—have grown increasingly opposed to the US-Israel alliance. This foreign partnership has drained billions from the US treasury over many years and drawn America into endless Middle Eastern conflicts, including the ongoing US confrontation with Iran.
Instead of heeding their constituents’ concerns, Congress appears to prioritize the interests of a foreign government. AIPAC’s influence over lawmakers is substantial, and the passage of Section 224 would mark a significant triumph for this foreign lobby.
It is unsurprising that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports Section 224. It might even be his handiwork.
If Section 224 remains part of the NDAA, future Congresses would lose their authority to decide the scope of US support, cooperation, or oversight in the relationship with Israel. This would exceed even President Obama’s decade-long guaranteed financial aid to Israel. Not only would funding proceed automatically, but the US could be further entangled in Israel’s numerous regional conflicts. Worse yet, the wars Israel fights would effectively become America’s wars.
It is imperative for Americans to oppose any initiatives aimed at merging our military with foreign forces. Instead, the US should focus on disengaging from overseas commitments, whether those involve NATO, backing Ukraine, or supporting Taiwan against China.
With over a trillion dollars spent annually on defense and the national debt approaching $40 trillion, adding new military commitments abroad would accelerate fiscal collapse. Section 224 must be removed from the NDAA, and it is the responsibility of every citizen who values sovereignty to demand that Congress take action.
Original article: ronpaulinstitute.org
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